27 July 2007: Dhaka

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement Friday to establish a direct road link between the two neighbouring countries after four years of initiating the move. Under the deal, Bangladesh will construct 25 kilometre road including 23 kilometres inside Myanmar in the first phase, linking Guandhum in Cox’s Bazar with Baulibazar in Myanmar, at a cost of Tk 141 crore. The total length of the proposed road stretching from Taungbro to Kyauktaw in Myanmar via Ramu and Guandhum to Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh is 153km. It will be constructed in two phases at an estimated cost of Tk 933.46 crore. The communications adviser, MA Matin, and the construction minister of Myanmar, Saw Tun, signed the agreement in the morning at the communications ministry conference room on behalf of their respective countries.

‘This is a milestone for Bangladesh,’ said Matin after signing the deal, adding, ‘It will further improve the relationship between the two countries.’ Matin said one of the objectives of the road connectivity was to strengthen Bangladesh’s demand to recognise this route as its favoured Asian Highway route. Currently, the route is shown as a sub-regional route in the Asian Highway, an UN-sponsored road project connecting 32 countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Matin also said the construction would begin as soon as possible after getting the necessary approval of both the governments.

The Myanmar construction minister arrived in Dhaka on Thursday on a four-day visit to sign the agreement as well as to discuss other bilateral issues with the Bangladesh government. Earlier, the communications secretary, Mahbubur Rahman, and the deputy construction minister of Myanmar, U Thint Shaw, initiated the agreement at Nay Pyi Taw, the new administrative capital of Myanmar, on April 28. Before signing the deal, Matin and high officials of the communications ministry held a meeting with the visiting Myanmar team and discussed various issues including stretching the Dhaka-Yangon road link up to Kunming province in China to establish direct road connectivity with China through Myanmar.

Saw Tun, however, told reporters that the matter depends on China and needed negotiations with the Chinese government.

‘This does not depend only on our decision, it also depends on China, and we will have to negotiate with China,’ Tun said.

Matin said a feasibility study should be carried out on the project.
Despite constructing the 25km road by Bangladesh, communications ministry officials said it would not be possible to get connected with Yangon, unless the Myanmar government took initiative to construct the 110km missing link inside its territory.

The Myanmar government had earlier shown negative attitude towards building the road, saying the project was not in its list of priorities, when Bangladesh assured it to manage funds from donor agencies to construct the missing link.

The 153km road link was considered a major component of the ‘Look East Policy’ adopted by the previous BNP-Jamaat government in 2002 to strengthen ties with Southeast Asian countries, especially China.

Former prime minister Khaleda Zia proposed to build the highway during her visit to Myanmar in 2003. The head of Myanmar government visited Bangladesh next year and laid the foundation of the road at Teknaf.

Source: New Age