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BSS-49
MOMEN-BBIN
Steps will be taken to expedite BBIN initiative: Momen
DHAKA, Jan 22, 2019 (BSS) – Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today said
steps will be taken to expedite BBIN (Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal)
initiative for greater socioeconomic development in the South Asia region.
“I will try to collaborate with all relevant ministries for expediting
BBIN initiative that basically will help Bangladesh advance on the highway of
development,” he told a seminar in the capital this evening.
Bangladesh Study Trust (BST) organised the seminar titled, ‘Bangladesh-
India-Nepal-Bhutan – Regional Cooperation: Prospects and Challenges’ at Jaiya
Press Club.
The BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) Initiative is a sub-
regional architecture of countries in Eastern South Asia. It meets through
official representation of the member states to formulate, implement and
review quadrilateral agreements across areas such as water resources
management, connectivity of power, transport and infrastructure.
The foreign minister said Bangladesh would like to reach its desire
development goals – upgrade to middle income country by 2021 and turn into
Sonar Bangla (golden Bengal), dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, by 2040 through collaborative partnership of regional
countries.
“We seek partnership and collaboration from all the regional countries to
build Bangladesh as Sonar Bangla,” he said.
Momen said connectivity is the key tool to ensure the effective regional
collaborative partnership.
He said a project is underway to build 500 kilometre road to strengthen
regional connectivity between Bangladesh and India. Motor vehicle movement
among Bangladesh, India and Nepal has already started, he added.
The foreign minister said smooth connectivity will help open a lot of new
avenues of trades among the peoples of the region.
Stressing the need for sharing energy among the BBIN countries, he said
Bangladesh has already established power grid connectivity with India and
there are huge sources of renewable energy in Nepal and Bhutan.
“Our energy consumption is less in winter, but that time it is high in
Nepal and Bhutan,” he said, “We may give them (Nepal-Bhutan) power in winter
and take electricity here from them in summer”.
The foreign minister also stressed the need for regional cooperation in
watershed management, saying that water is one of the major resources of
Bangladesh.
He suggested for further cooperation on education and tourism among the
BBIN countries.
Former ambassadors Abdul Hannan and AKM Atiqur Rahman, former president of
BGMEA Atiqul Islam, Sompritee Bangladesh convenor Pijush Banadhyapathay and
BST general secretary Prof Dr Mamun Al Mahtab, among others, spoke at the
seminar.
BSS/ASG/TA/MRI/2142 hrs