Bhutan wants to finalise deal to use the ports

Bhutan wants Bangladesh to make 2017's transit route deal functional soon so that the landlocked country can use Mongla and Banglabandha ports to carry goods from and to Bangladesh through India.

Bhutan's proposal to use the ports was discussed at the third meeting of the joint working group, Senior Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh told The Daily Star yesterday.

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The meeting was held in Dhaka yesterday and attended by senior officials of the two countries.

"The discussion is still at the primary level. We will discuss further in this regard as India is also a part of the proposed transit route," Ghosh said.

However, the secretary declined to comment in details immediately as the negotiation is still underway. Bhutan has been showing interest to do trade with Bangladesh.

The Hasina administration signed its maiden preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Bhutan on December 6 last year.

Bangladesh signed the first PTA with Bhutan as a gesture of friendliness as the landlocked country was the first nation in the world to recognise Bangladesh's independence on December 6 in 1971.

Under the PTA, some 100 Bangladeshi goods will be enjoying the preferential duty benefit on export to Bhutan while some 34 Bhutanese goods will enjoy the same benefit in Bangladesh.

Last month, Bhutan requested Bangladesh to make the signed PTA effective from July 1 this year as the Bhutanese parliament has already completed the formalities to make the trade deal effective.