Making Bhutan-Bangladesh cooperation more meaningful

TAKING advantage of topographical location Bhutan has taken the project of constructing the world’s largest hydropower station. Hopefully this will benefit the energy thrust of Bangladesh as was expressed in Dhaka recently. Remaining under the purview of the region’s juggernaut, the two countries have taken steps to enhance bilateral trade, certainly a welcoming step towards a duty-free South Asia.
The two nations have been connected for decades and possess a huge potential to boost trade and exchange technical and manpower resources aiming at bilateral interest.
To enhance bilateral trade and commerce, the countries have jotted two deals, including one on trade that will allow the nations to enjoy duty-free export of 90 items to each other. Bhutan had earlier enjoyed duty-free export of 74 items and now both Bhutan and Bangladesh will enjoy duty-free export of 90 items from each country. And Bangladesh has offered Bhutan the use of Chittagong and Mongla seaports as well as Lalmonirhat and Syedpur airports to facilitate optimum use of regional resources to fetch the similar goal of development. Presently, trade between Bangladesh and Bhutan is being conducted done through Burimari land port in Lalmonirhat using Indian territory.
Besides, Bhutan has huge potential for production of hydroelectricity which can make a significant contribution to the country’s economy if the surplus power is exported to neighbours. However, Bhutan should also duly consider the environmental interest of Bangladesh while designing its hydro-power installations.
As a down-stream country, Bangladesh can get pre-flood information from Bhutan that can reduce the affect of flood in Bangladesh. The information sharing between the countries to achieve regional development has no alternative.
Earlier, the countries signed a bilateral trade agreement in 1980, granting each other the “most favoured nation” preferential status for development of trade. Bangladesh currently exports items worth Tk 20 crore while imports goods worth Tk 175 crore, which necessarily deserves a balance. With a population of 634,982 in a 38,394 square km area, Bhutan, a next door neighbour, deserves our cooperation in several sectors, including education, health, and industrial set-ups.
Connectivity remains the most crucial issue to enhance regional cooperation. Bangladesh needs to establish itself as the hub of regional connectivity so as to ensure seamless connectivity to the region and beyond. But it must be understood that Bangladesh has also to make it politically conducive for our friends to feel confident to do business with Bangladesh. Relationship among countries is not a personal one, but political.