Bangladesh wants Nepal use Mongla, Chittagong ports

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni has said her country is keen to see Nepal using Mongla and Chittagong ports of Bangladesh for trade.
While meeting with newly appointed ambassador of Nepal to Bangladesh Hari Kumar Shrestha on Tuesday, Moni also mentioned Dhaka’s interest to import 1,000 MW electricity from the Saptakosi high dam project to meet her country’s ever increasing demand for power.
Moni also shared her willingness to be an equity partner or shareholder of the project, according to a statement of Bangladeshi foreign ministry.Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina revealed her country's intention with her counterpart Dr Baburam Bhattarai for the first time during their meeting at the 17th SAARC summit in Maldives in November 2011.
Noting the bilateral trade was far below the potential, Moni sought the ambassador's personal initiative to get private sectors actively involved in enhancing trade relations between Bangaldesh and Nepal. "Foreign Minister noted that Bangladesh had already offered Nepal and Bhutan access to Mongla and Chittagong ports,” the statement read.
Opening up the two ports to Nepal will not only bolster bilateral trade but also could hugely enhance Nepal’s exports beyond the regions, it added.Several small initiatives including upgrading of facilities at Land Ports/Land Customs Stations and signing of an SOP between Bangladesh and India that allows Nepali cargo vehicles to enter up to 200 meters from Zero Point at Banglabandha would help to facilitate bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Nepal.
She also mentioned the signing of Addendum to MoU between Bangladesh and India granting Rohanpur-Singabad as an additional route for rail transit to Nepal. The MoU was inked during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Bangladesh in September 2011.