AGARTALA, Aug 22 (TIWN): Based on the agreement signed between Bangladesh and India allowing India to carry petroleum goods from Meghalaya to Tripura through Bangladesh territory on humanitarian grounds. At the request of India, the Bangladesh government allowed the country to send petroleum products including high-speed diesel, superior kerosene oil and Liquefied Petroleum Gas to flood-hit Tripura. Under the agreement, a maximum of 80 trucks or tankers will be allowed, in a day, to ply through the routes in convoys under security protection provided by Bangladesh authorities. The maximum excel limit of a vehicle will be 10 metric-tonne. India will pay Bangladesh at a rate of Tk 1.02 per metric-tonne per kilometer as fee for using roads in compliance with existing Bangladesh-India Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT). Bangladesh authorities will allow the convoys to pass through after getting valid documents, including copies of passports and driving license of drivers and staff, route permits and fitness certificate of the vehicles and comprehensive insurance certificate for the journey from Indian authorities, much ahead of the transfer of the goods.

 Trucks and tankers carrying the petroleum goods will travel through about 140 kilometers of road through Dawki (Meghalaya, India) –Tamabil (in Sylhet, Bangladesh), Fenchuganj, Rajnagar, Shamshernagar and Chatlapur (in Moulvibazar, Bangladesh) – Kailashahar (Tripura, India) routes.

In a goodwill gesture, Bangladesh allowed the transport of over-dimensional cargo during the construction of the Palatana power plant in Tripura in 2011.

Bangladesh again allowed India to use river routes, river ports and roads here and waived the transshipment charges to facilitate transportation of 10,000 tonnes of rice for Tripura through Ashuganj river port on humanitarian grounds in 2014.

India agreed in a meeting of the home ministers of the two countries in New Delhi in July to allow Bangladesh to use their [India] border roads for carrying construction material and workers to construct and maintain the outposts of Border Guard Bangladesh.

Bangladesh sent relief material to Nepal by road through Indian roads after the massive earthquakes in 2015. The MoU will remain valid till September 30, 2016. However, there is a provision for extended use of the routes subject to prior request from India and subsequent assent from Bangladesh authorities.

The short term route permit by Bangladesh to meet an end to t he acute crisis of petrol in Tripura and will also tighten the bond between India and Bangladesh.

It is to be mentioned here that Bangladesh has inked a short-term route permit agreement to allow India transport petroleum products from the northeastern state of Assam to Tripura through Bangladesh in the wake of floods that have drastically damaged Indian roads.