Transport Connectivity Key to Intraregional Trade in BBIN and Bay of Bengal Subregions

1 September 2021

Increasing transport connectivity is key to regional integration and intraregional trade, according to Mr. Dongxiang Li, Lead Regional Cooperation Specialist, South Asia Department, Asian Development Bank. He said the development of a regional framework is needed to harmonize policy, procedures, and practice among countries in the Bay of Bengal subregion.

He was speaking at a webinar on lessons in intermodal transport connectivity from Central, South and Southeast Asia for the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) subregion, organized by CUTS International as part of its Enabling a Political Economy Discourse for Multi-modal Connectivity in the BBIN Sub-region (M-Connect) project.

Mr. Li said that the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) master plan on transport connectivity will help achieve seamless connectivity in the Bay of Bengal subregion. He also stressed the need to create sustainable infrastructure projects and address socioenvironmental impacts through evaluation and monitoring.

According to Mr. Bipul Chatterjee, executive director, CUTS International, the BBIN subregion should develop a cooperative approach for multimodal connectivity and learn from the success of other subregional connectivity programs.


Related Link:
The sixth and final unit of the Punatsangchhu-II Hydropower Project was successfully synchronized with Bhutan’s national grid on...

Read More


Mr. Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary of the Government of India, visited Nepal on 17-18 August 2025 to strengthen...

Read More


The Government of India approved the purchase of an additional 200 MW of electricity from Nepal, effective 11...

Read More


The India-Bhutan energy partnership reached a major milestone with the operationalization of the fifth unit of the 1,020...

Read More


The Government of Bangladesh has launched a fully automated trade clearance system, making the submission and issuance of...

Read More


Assam and Bhutan have pledged to strengthen their bilateral tourism ties by collaborating on smoother and more accessible...

Read More


The new Gelephu Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Bhutan, which will play a key role in the Gelephu...

Read More