GUWAHATI: Close on the heels of Bangladesh Prime Minister Seikh Hasina’s visit to India and signing, exchanging, adopting of bilateral agreements between the two countries, Chief Minister Sonowal on Thursday asked the state’s Act East Affairs Department to leave no stone unturned for the success of the India-Bangladesh Stakeholders’ meet to be held in Guwahati on October 22 and 23.
Reviewing the preparations being made for the meeting, chief minister Sonowal asked organisers — Act East Policy Affairs Department, Government of Assam and Ministry of Commerce and Industries Government of India — to put in place all necessary arrangements so that meeting is held in an atmosphere of great cordiality and warmth to put forward the bilateral relations which are based on deep historical and fraternal ties.
It may be noted that the stakeholders’ meet will primarily focus on creating a level playing field for the stakeholders of the both the countries like Union Ministers, State Ministers, Foreign Ministers, Ambassadors, Indian and Foreign investors, buyers, corporates and high profile business delegations of India and Bangladesh which has been tag-lined as trade and connectivity.
The meeting also proposes to discuss and create awareness on the opportunities made available by the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement and the access to Chittagong and Mongla Ports to the North East.
Recalling the shared bonds of history, culture, language, secularism and other unique commonalities that characterize the partnership of both countries with special reference to Assam, Chief Minister Sonowal said that Assam and Bangladesh had a coordinated network of communication system which existed through road, rail, and water. However, in due course of time the rail link has been snapped off causing severing rail connectivity between the two geographic entities. He also said that the stakeholders’ meet will be a way forward towards reviving the age-old communication ties between Assam and Bangladesh.
Sonowal said that the stakeholders meeting which is being held in the back drop of the Act East Policy, should augur well for advancing mutually beneficial partnership in both conventional and non-conventional areas, and to ensure that this irreversible partnership enhances people to people relations between the two countries besides strengthening a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and Bangladesh.
Emphasising on a win-win business partnership, Sonowal also said that the stakeholders’ meet would create awareness on opportunities made available by the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement, the Port Use Agreement and Use of Cross Border Inland Waterways and access of the Chittagong and Mongla Ports to the North East.
He also said that concerted effort should be made so that the meeting snowballed into a major trade promotion launch pad between India and Bangladesh which helps India to reach the target of 5 trillion-dollar economy by 2024.
The likely key stakeholders of the meeting will be Ministry of Commerce & Revenue, Government of India, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of Bangladesh, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Bangladesh, Ministry of Shipping, Government of India, Ministry of Road Transport, Government of India, Ministry of Shipping, Government of Bangladesh, Ministry of Road Transport, Government of Bangladesh, Asian Development Bank, Freight Forwarding Associations, Motor Transport Associations, Inland Water Transport Authority, Representatives from Chittagong Port Authority, Representatives from Mongla Port Authority and Customs Officials.