The National Board of Revenue (NBR) of the Government of Bangladesh is set to open the first phase of its National Single Window (NSW) services to expedite export-import trade. NBR plans to roll out the Users Acceptance Test of select certificate-licensing and permit-issuing agencies for NSW in January 2024.

Bhutan will build the Gelephu Smart City Project in the Gelephu Special Administrative Region to facilitate more foreign investment for the country.

The Government of Bangladesh and ADB signed an agreement for the SASEC Dhaka-Northwest Corridor Road Project, Phase 2,Tranche 3. Tranche 3 is worth around $300 million and is set to be completed by June 2026.  

The Akhaura-Agartala rail link marks an important milestone that promotes trade and people-to-people contact between India and Bangladesh. This is an excerpt of an article that appears on the ORF website.

ADB under the SASEC program has invested more than $15 billion in the priority sectors of transport, energy, trade facilitation, economic corridor development, and ICT as of 2020. To fully realize BBIN's potential, countries must also invest in regulatory reform in logistics services. This is an excerpt of an article that appears on the Tatsat Chronicle.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the SASEC Chattogram-Cox's Bazar Railway Project on 11 November 2023. The 102-kilometer dual-gauge, single-line railway incorporates climate-resilient and biodiversity-friendly features and connects the southernmost part of Bangladesh with the rest of the country. The railway project is supported by the Asian Development Bank and is part of the trans-Asia railway network.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Akhaura-Agartala railway link during an online ceremony held virtually held on 1 November 2023. The rail link connects Bangladesh and the northeastern region of India through Tripura.

The passenger ferry service from Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India, to Kankesanthurao, Jaffna, Sri Lanka, was inaugurated on 14 October 2023. It is expected to bring the two nations closer together and benefit local traders of both countries, boost tourism, and increase people-to-people relations.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the Akhaura-Agartala rail line in September 2023. The railway will reduce travel time between Agartala and Kolkata from 31 hours to 10 hours, opening up opportunities for trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.

The Government of India plans to develop the Eastern Grid waterway with 5,000 km of navigable waterways, according to Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. The Eastern Grid can potentially unlock multilateral trade worth $49 billion, boost regional integration, and accelerate development.

The second phase of the Jaynagar (India)-Bijalpura (Nepal)-Bardibas (Nepal) cross-border rail line project, the Kurtha-Bijalpura rail section, became operational on 16 July 2023. The rail section covers a total of 17.3 km. A total of five stations are found on this route–Kurtha, Pipradi, Loharpatti, Singyahi, and Bijalpura.

Bangladesh Railways plans to install an elephant warning system along its new rail tracks that can serve as an alert for slowing or stopping the trains along the new Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar Railway route in Bangladesh. The route passes through three forests that are the habitat of elephants. The railway project is being funded by the Asian Development Bank under the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program.

ADB approved the third tranche of the SASEC Chittagong-Cox's Bazar Railway Project, Phase 1, on 20 June 2023. The assistance worth $400 million forms part of the $1.5 billion loan to build a dual-gauge railway from Chattogram (Chittagong) to Cox's Bazar. Tranche 3 will help fund construction of the 102-kilometer (km) Dohazari-Cox's Bazar section, which will provide connectivity to the Matarbari Port.

The BIMSTEC Business Conclave brought together business leaders and entrepreneurs from the BIMSTEC region. During the meeting, participants from the business sector highlighted the need to develop the Bhutan-Siliguri (India)-Bangladesh corridor. Siliguri in northern West Bengal, India, is strategically placed to boost trade in the region.

The Government of Bangladesh has granted Bhutan access to 15 entry and exit points for the transit of goods, following the signing of the “Agreement on Movement of Traffic-in-Transit” in March 2023. The Government of Bhutan, in return, has designated 8 entry and exit points.

The Government of India has proposed the improvement and widening of the 134.9-kilometer section of National Highway 208, that stretches from Khowai to Harina in Tripura, India, to connect to Bangladesh’s Chattogram (Chittagong) port. The project will help enhance inter-state connectivity within India's northeastern region and promote connectivity for trade via Bangladesh.

Cordelia Express, the first luxury cruise ship between India and Sri Lanka, was flagged off on 5 June 2023 from Chennai Port, India. It set sail for Hambantota Port, Sri Lanka, and Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, and sailed back to Chennai on 9 June. Mr. Jurgen Bailom, Chief Executive Officer of the Cordelia Express, noted that the cruise ship is set to carry 50,000 passengers from India to Sri Lanka in the next four months.

In the meeting between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and His Excellency Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Her Excellency Queen Jetsun Pema, Prime Minister Hasina offered Bhutan the possibility of developing an economic zone in Kurigram, Bangladesh. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck communicated Bhutan’s desire to establish direct transit with Bangladesh through India.

The Sri Lanka Navy has undertaken facility expansion of the Kankesanthurai harbor, in support of the passenger ferry service launch between Sri Lanka and India. The Navy will build a passenger terminal for immigration and customs clearance. These improvements aim to help increase traffic and provide better infrastructure.

The ongoing construction of the Agartala (India)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) international railway connectivity project has reached over 88% completion. The work is expected to be finished in the next 5-6 months, according to Mr. Sushanta Chowdhury, Tripura transport minister.

India and Sri Lanka are set to begin a passenger ferry service in April 2023. The ferry service between Karaikal, Puducherry, India, and Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, Sri Lanka, will commence on 29 April under the new passenger ferry program.

The Governments of Bangladesh and Bhutan signed the "Agreement on the Movement of Traffic-in-Transit and Protocol" on 22 March 2023 in Thimphu, Bhutan. This will open multimodal transit facilities to landlocked Bhutan, providing them access to Mongla, Payra, and Chattogram ports of Bangladesh for the movement of their imported and export-oriented goods.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remarked that India can utilize Bangladesh's Chattogram and Sylhet ports. She stressed the need to boost connectivity to further grow the region’s trade and commerce and enhance people to people linkages. Access to the two ports would mutually benefit both countries, stressed the Prime Minister.

Watch the video about how the Joydevpur-Elenga-Hatkumrul-Rangpur-Burimari-Banglabandha road benefits local communities and helps facilitate trade with Bhutan, India, and Nepal. The project, committed in 2013, is being undertaken with support from the Asian Develop Bank and is part of SASEC Corridor 4. The Joydevpur-Elenga section was completed in 2022, while improvement work to the Elenga–Rangpur Road is ongoing.

India External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar called on Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih during his visit to Maldives. They jointly participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Hanimaadhoo international airport project.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, will receive a loan to expand the terminal’s container handling capacity and attract vessels operating on important international shipping lanes. The Nhava Sheva Container Terminal Financing Project, signed by the ADB and Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal Private Limited, is a $131 million financing package.

A special tour will be operated by the Indian Railways showcasing pilgrimage sites in Ayodhya, India, and Janakpur, Nepal, in February. The "Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train” is an initiative that will strengthen bilateral relations and promote cultural relations between India and Nepal, according to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Railways.

The Government of Bangladesh plans to upgrade its northernmost airport, the Saidpur airport in Nilphamari, into an international airport. Saidpur airport can be a key transit point to boost connectivity between Bangladesh and its BIN neighbors—Bhutan, India’s northeastern region, and Nepal.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) unit in Siliguri, with the assistance of the Government of Bhutan, is conducting a survey to extend railway linkages to Bhutan. NFR and Bhutan are studying the potential for a rail track from Kokrajhar, Assam, to Gelephu, Bhutan. The planned route will be 57.5 kilometers long.

Direct flight services between Chennai, India, and Jaffna, Sri Lanka, resumed on 12 December 2022, after being halted for close to three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Resumption of flights is expected to boost tourist arrivals between the two countries.

State highways in Assam, India, are set to be upgraded through a loan approved by the Asian Development Bank. The project will connect SASEC with Bhutan's and Bangladesh's borders. It is expected to improve transport and increase the volume of trade across borders.

Road expansion work for the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Investment Project is set to begin in December 2022. Work to expand the highway from two to six lanes aims to reduce travel time and improve road safety.

Indian Railways successfully delivered 75 sports utility vehicles (SUVs) by rail and road to Bhutan—its first delivery to Bhutan via multimodal route. The SUVs were loaded at the Walajabad terminal, Chennai, bound for Hasimara station, Alipurduar. Upon arriving at Hasimara, the SUVs were loaded on trucks en route to Bhutan via road. Hasimara is an Indian town strategically located around 20km from an India-Bhutan border.

Bangladesh has implemented at least five projects under the SASEC program that will help landlocked Bhutan and Nepal gain access to sea ports. These projects are financed through the Asian Development Bank.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to strengthen its partnership with India and support development priorities for inclusive growth, according ADB Vice-President Shixin Chen. Mr. Chen affirmed ADB's support to the government's post-COVID-19 economic recovery efforts. ADB incorporates gender equality into the design of ADB-funded projects and enhances regional cooperation through the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation platform, said Mr. Chen.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s discussions highlighted several developments in bilateral relations in trade and connectivity, power and energy, and people-to-people linkages.

Bangladesh Railways plans to convert the Dhaka-Chattogram railway line from meter gauge to broad gauge by 2027 with potential financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

ADB has committed continued support for the improvement of Bangladesh’s key infrastructures as the country carries on its path of post-pandemic recovery. ADB’s 2023–2025 lending pipeline for Bangladesh stands at approximately $9.4 billion for 44 projects. This includes development of roads and railway corridors that will be complemented by necessary reforms to facilitate inter-regional trade.

The Governments of Bangladesh and India are preparing to conduct comprehensive trial runs for the transshipment of cargo to India's northeastern regions via Bangladesh’s Chattogram and Mongla ports. The planned trial runs aim to iron out issues and align the immigration and customs arrangements in both countries.

The potential of the Siliguri corridor and its surroundings to be developed as a logistics hub for India’s northeastern region, and Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, was emphasized by the CII at Logi Connect 2022. Developing Siliguri as a logistic hub would facilitate movement of goods to other states of India and its neighboring countries.

Highlighting new opportunities in waterways between India and Bangladesh, the Government of India has said that waterway transport is faster, cheaper, and environment-friendly.

Bangladesh is undertaking projects to strengthen interregional connectivity, such as ADB-supported South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) initiatives on cross-border connectivity. These SASEC initiatives, through regional and national SASEC transport projects, will develop infrastructure and systems that will improve cross-border connectivity and boost intraregional trade.

Railway ministers of India and Bangladesh virtually flagged off the Mitali Express on 1 June 2022. The Railway Ministry of India underscored that Mitali Express will boost both countries’ tourism by connecting Bangladesh with northern West Bengal and the northeastern region of India.

Mr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of the Government of India, highlighted in his inaugural address at the Natural Allies in Development and Interdependence (NADI) Asian Confluence River Conclave 2022 the importance of connectivity. He underscored that the coming together of the “Act East” and the “Neighborhood First” policies have an enormous impact extending beyond South Asia.

Mr. Tandi Dorji, Foreign Minister of the Government of Bhutan, and Mr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of the Government of India, jointly inaugurated three projects in Bhutan that were completed with Indian assistance. These include the Chubachu-Jungzhina four-lane road, a major trunk road in Thimphu that helps ease traffic congestion.

Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary of the Government of India, convened the first meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Coordination Group (IMCG) on 12 April 2022. The IMCG is a high-level mechanism aimed at mainstreaming India’s "Neighborhood First" policy that aims to build greater connectivity, forge stronger inter-linkages, and greater people-to-people contact.

The railway service between India and Nepal for passengers, the Janakpur (Nepal) -- Jayanagar (India) railway service, was inaugurated by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on 3 April 2022 at a videoconferencing event in New Delhi, India. This is Nepal’s first broad gauge rail service.

The Fifth Summit of Heads of State/ Government of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) adopted the BIMSTEC Charter and the BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity. The Summit was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 30 March 2022.

Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction of Nepal's Gautam Buddha International Airport is nearly complete. The linked article by Binita Shah Khadka, with original photos by Madhup Shrestha, was posted by the Asian Development Bank.

A delegation from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) discussed with officials of the Bangladesh Roads and Highways Department (RHD) South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) projects funded by the ADB, during a meeting at RHD headquarters in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The Governments of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal held a meeting on the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) on 7-8 March 2022 in New Delhi, India. The meeting discussed the Passenger and Cargo Protocols of the BBIN MVA Regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic.

Mr. Arnaud Cauchois, ADB country director for Nepal, visited the Narayanghat-Butwal section of the SASEC Road Improvement Project to observe the status of the construction on 14–15 February 2022. Mr. Cauchois, joined by Mr. Sushil Babu Dhakal, project director for ADB, and staff members from the Department of Roads, visited four bridge construction sites, crushing plant sites, a concrete batching plant site, and labor and contractor camp sites.

The Government of India will create a new waterway connectivity on the Gomati river in Tripura that will facilitate improved trade and movement between Bangladesh and India, and ease transport bottlenecks in the country’s northeastern region. Passenger and cargo vessels will use the new route once opened.

The Northern Bypass Road (NBR) has reduced traffic congestion in Phuentsholing, Bhutan, according to Mr. Devi Charan Dhimal, project coordinator, ADB. The NBR, constructed under the SASEC program, is a 2-kilometer four-lane road that includes an underpass near the Omchhu bridge. NBR Package-I was completed in January 2022.

Phuentsholing has completed construction on Bhutan's first mini dry port. The project is connected to the North Bypass Road project and is part of a road connectivity project under the SASEC program. The mini dry port, which can process customs clearances for imports and exports, will help decongest Phuentsholing by allowing heavy trucks to bypass the town’s existing customs office.

India flagged off a pilot run of a cargo ship using waterways from Patna Port in Bihar, India, for the Pandu Port in Assam, India, via the Jamuna River,Bangladesh, on 5 February 2022. This 2,350 kilometer route that will be traveled by the carrier MV Lal Bahadur Shastri commenced from India’s western part to its northeastern region, passing through Bangladesh, under the Bangladesh-India Protocol for Inland Water Trade and Transit.

The Governments of India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build a bridge over Mahakali River with grant assistance from the Government of India. The planned 110-meter bridge will connect Dharchula (Uttarakhand, India) with Darchula (Sudurpaschim, Nepal).

Mr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of the Government of India, held a virtual meeting with Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, Finance Minister of the Government of Sri Lanka on 15 January 2022. The meeting reiterated India’s continued support for Sri Lanka, and emphasized that both countries stand to gain from forming closer economic interlinkages.

India has begun dredging waterways along the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers. Development of the waterways will allow passenger and cargo ships from Assam and the rest of northeastern India to travel to Haldia in West Bengal, India, via Bangladesh.

The Government of India has urged BIMSTEC member countries to collectively develop a strategy for financing and implementing the BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity. Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary of the Government of India, noted that work on this matter has already started with the first consultative workshop on financing of the Master Plan organized by ADB.

The Government of India financed the gauge conversion of the Jaynagar (India)-Kurtha (Nepal) cross-border rail link from narrow gauge to broad gauge. On 23 October 2021, India handed over the completed section totaling 34.9 kilometer to Nepal.

A multimodal container depot will be constructed in Chattogram City to enhance the port's capacity to handle imports and goods bound for export. Saif Logistics Alliance Ltd. will invest around Tk 300 crore (around $35 million) to develop the facility on a design-build-finance-operate-maintain-transfer basis.

The government of Bangladesh aims to complete the railway line from Dohazari, Chattogram, to Cox's Bazar by June 2023, after work on the project slowed due to the coronavirus disease pandemic. The SASEC railway project is building a new 102-kilomter dual-gauge single railway line. It will facilitate trade, investment, and travel for tourists and will strengthen the economy of beach communities along the railway.

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.

Indian Railways and Bangladesh Railway commenced the regular operation of freight trains on the restored Haldibari (India) - Chilahati (Bangladesh) Rail Route. Indian Railways dispatched a freight train loaded with stones from the Damdim Station of Northeast Frontier Railway (India) to Bangladesh.

A Letter of Exchange for the revision of the Railway Service Agreement between Nepal and India proposes to allow all authorized private container train operators from India and Nepal to utilize the Indian Railway network to transport freight containers for Nepal's imports or exports, and transport goods to and/or from other border points besides Raxaul (India)/Birgunj (Nepal).

The Asian Development Bank and the Government of India signed the Tamil Nadu Industrial Connectivity Project on 16 June 2021. Under the agreement, ADB will finance a $484 million loan to improve transport connectivity and facilitate industrial development in the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor.

Inland waterway transport is cost-effective and will ease congestion on road and rail networks. In this article, Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, National President, National Real Estate Development Council, discusses the potential benefits of developing inland waterway transport in India.

Work on the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Development Project is set to begin, with the Roads and Highways Department opening the first tender for road widening work on the highway. The invitation for bids was sent out on 29 April 2021 for the 35-kilometer section of the highway from Dhaka to Narsingdi.

Experts discussed unique opportunities in river tourism between Bangladesh and India at a public-private dialogue on India-Bangladesh cross-border tourism and cruise operations organized by CUTS International on 29 April 2021.

Mr. Obaidul Quader, Road Transport and Bridges Minister, Bangladesh, is pushing to begin work to upgrade the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar Highway. The road, one of the busiest in Bangladesh, will be widened to four-lanes to ease traffic along the route and improve subregional connectivity.

Mr. Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Minister of the Government of Maldives, met with Mr. S Jaishankar, Foreign Minister of the Government of India, on 16 April 2021, as part of his two-day visit to India. The two foreign ministers reviewed the status of ongoing projects in Maldives backed by India. India supports around $2 billion worth of projects in Maldives, including ports, roads, bridges, water and sanitation, and socio-economic development projects.

Enhancing transport and trade linkages between and across the countries in the Bay of Bengal region requires a strategic master plan. The master plan will guide the countries' actions and build on synergies among various connectivity frameworks. This commentary appears on the Development Asia website.

The Asian Development Bank has approved a $484-million loan for a project to improve transport connectivity along the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) in Tamil Nadu, India, to strengthen industrial growth and create jobs along the corridor. The CKIC is part of India’s East Coast Economic Corridor, which stretches from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu and connects to Southeast Asia and East Asia.

Foreign Ministers of the Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) grouping finalized the BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity at the 17th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting held on 1 April 2021. The master plan will be endorsed for adoption in the next BIMSTEC summit to be hosted by the Government of Sri Lanka later this year.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a state visit to Bangladesh on 26-27 March 2021 to join celebrations for the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bangladesh and India are also commemorating 50 years since the establishment of their diplomatic relations.

A shipment of lychee drinks will be traveling through inland waterways from Narsingdi, Bangladesh, to Kolkata, India. According to Mr. Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping, Bangladesh, developing inland waterways will lower the cost of shipping and increase trade between India and Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved on 16 February 2021 the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Development project. The project will improve road connectivity and increase trade with neighboring countries. ECNEC gave the approval during a virtual meeting presided over by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Government of Nepal and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a loan agreement for the SASEC Airport Capacity Enhancement Project. The project will improve the capacity of two major airports in Nepal, the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu and the Gautam Buddha Airport (GBA) in Lumbini.

India's northeastern states are working to improve infrastructure and connectivity to help reduce the cost of transport and basic commodities. India's northeastern region is the country's gateway to East and Southeast Asia, and India is promoting transport and energy connectivity with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Nepal, explains Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary of the Government of India.

The Bangladesh Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has approved a road expansion program through the SASEC Road Link Project II: Elenga-Hatikamrul-Rangpur Highway Four-Lane Upgradation. The project will be part of a road network connecting Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal that would increase trade and commerce in the subregion.

A trial run for the first export consignment from Bangladesh to Tripura, India, through inland waterways was conducted on 3–5 September 2020. The barge traveled 93 kilometers along the Meghna-Gomati river route carrying 50 tons of cement.

ADB has a redesigned financing plan to help Bangladesh recover from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Country Operations Business Plan for 2021 to 2023, ADB's financing priorities in Bangladesh have been adjusted to include more than $11 billion in policy-based loans for social protection, economic recovery, and health programs. The plan includes support for SASEC road corridors, rail projects, and trade facilitation programs.

The Government of Bangladesh approved a Tk 848.3 crore (around $100 million) for a road widening project that would help broaden bilateral trade with India. Under the project, the 38km Baraiyerhat-Hiako-Ramgarh road in the Khagrachhari district will be widened.

Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary of the Government of India, paid a visit to Dhaka, Bangladesh, to take forward cooperation on matters of mutual interest. His meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina discussed India-Bangladesh connectivity and power projects, as well as India’s developmental assistance for Bangladesh.

The Governments of India and Nepal held the Eighth Meeting of the Nepal-India Oversight Mechanism on 17 August 2020. The virtual meeting conducted a comprehensive review of the projects being implemented under bilateral cooperation.

The cabinet of the Government of Bangladesh has approved the draft addendum to the protocol to the transit agreement with the Government of Nepal. The addendum adds Rohonpur in Chapainawabganj (Bangladesh) as a railway transit entry and exit point.

The coronavirus pandemic has slowed the implementation of Asian Development Bank-funded projects in Bangladesh, including the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Road Connectivity Project-1 and 2 and the SASEC Chattogram-Cox's Bazar Railway Project. As the country proceeds to lift lockdown restrictions, implementing agencies are preparing plans for the full resumption of work on construction sites.

Extensive connectivity in the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal subregion is needed to respond to economic vulnerabilities brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Increased connectivity through trade and transport infrastructure, such as those under the South Asian Subregional Economic Cooperation program, help the Asian Development Bank in its work to reduce poverty and promote gender equality.

The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Road Connectivity Project Road Connectivity Project, which will connect Bangladesh with regional and international transport networks, is 75.48% completed. The Government of Bangladesh is also upgrading the Elenga-Hatikumrul highway to include four lanes with service lanes on both sides.

The Government of Bangladesh and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed the agreement for the Transport Connectivity Improvement Preparatory Facility. This project readiness financing (PRF), worth $57.23 million, will support the preparation of priority transport projects in Bangladesh.

Mr. Saurabh Kumar, Ambassador, Embassy of India in Myanmar, spoke at an interactive webinar on India-Myanmar Business Promotion, Challenges and Opportunities Post COVID-19 along with his counterpart Mr. Moe Kyaw Aung, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in India. Mr. Kumar suggested expanding bilateral trade relations to include areas such as pharmacy and healthcare to help the revival of both countries post-COVID-19.

Maldives is studying the use of high-level technologies to support a national window system to make international trade easier and more efficient. Through the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation National Single Window Project, Maldives is introducing blockchain technology to improve trade facilitation and management of local and regional supply chains.

The Government of Bangladesh and the Asian Development Bank signed on 15 March 2020 a $400 million loan agreement to upgrade the Dhaka-Northwest international road corridor. The project, under the Second South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Dhaka-Northwest Corridor Road Project, helps connect Bangladesh with Bhutan, India, and Nepal.

India's Ministry of Railways has commissioned a survey to establish a cross-border railway link between India and Bhutan. The planned route is on Mujnai (India)–Nyoenpaling (Bhutan).

Mr. Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Nepal, went on an official visit to Bangladesh in February 2020. His meetings included bilateral talks with Mr. AK Abdul Momen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh on 18 February, and a courtesy call to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 19 February.

India and Myanmar are launching the Imphal (Manipur, India)–Mandalay (Myanmar) bus service to further promote tourism and people-to-people visits. On 7 April 2020, the new passenger bus route will be inaugurated in Mandalay in a ceremony flagging off a bus bound for Imphal. On 8 April, a bus bound for Mandalay will be flagged off from Imphal. The Shwe Mandalar Express Company Limited from Yangon and Seven Sisters Holidays from Imphal partnered to operate the bus route.

The Asian Development Bank has approved $42 million facility for project readiness financing (PRF) to improve transport connectivity in Bangladesh. The PRF will promote multimodal transport and support project preparation for road and railway projects and to help the country meet its growing transport needs.

Representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) met in New Delhi, India, on 8 February 2020 to discuss and push for the finalization of the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has committed to a loan of $195 million to improve the highway section between Pokhara and Mugling in Nepal. The highway section links Pokhara to Kathmandu and to subregional corridors connecting Nepal with India and Bangladesh.

Economic corridor development is an effective policy that could promote sustainable growth in Bangladesh. It is a tool that enables the proliferation of industry, creates jobs, upgrades infrastructure, and links production centers with global value chains. It also helps create markets in lagging regions.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) handed over to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ADB’s Country Operations Business Plan for 2020–2022. The plan programs around $5 billion in projects to promote sustainable growth in Bangladesh, and prioritizes skills development participation in global value chains through the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation partnership.

Construction of Colombo's first elevated highway commenced on 10 September 2019 with Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe laying the foundation stone to mark the start of construction. The project will help alleviate traffic congestion in Colombo’s densely populated areas, improve last-mile connectivity between the country’s expressway network and Colombo’s international port, provide better logistics services for freight operations, and facilitate regional trade.

A bus service between Kathmandu, Nepal and Siliguri, West Bengal, India was inaugurated on 26 August 2019. Mr. Raghubir Mahaseth, Minister for Transport Management of the Government of Nepal, and Mr. Manjeev Singh Puri, Indian Ambassador to Nepal, jointly flagged off the bus service. Mr. Mahaseth emphasized that the bus service will further strengthen the links between the two nations and help to expand trade links.

Infrastructure bottlenecks will need to be removed to effectively implement the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement. According to Mr. Bipul Chatterjee, Executive Director, CUTS International, addressing the many short-term challenges would bring long-term benefits and result in a win-win situation for all member countries.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Development Fund (SDF) and Drukair Corporation signed a $13 million loan agreement to help DrukAir purchase a new ATR Aircraft. This is SDF’s first loan under its economic and infrastructure window. Mr. Sunil Motiwal, Chief Executive Officer of SDF, noted that this assistance will help Bhutan expand its aviation connectivity to Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.

The mini dry port in Phuentsholing, Bhutan, has been constructed and will begin operation once the northern bypass road is completed. Both are components of the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Road Connectivity Project.

The Government of Bangladesh is considering the construction of a new pipeline to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from India. According to Mr. Nasrul Hamid, State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources of the Government of Bangladesh, the country’s Gas Transmission Company Limited plans to install the pipeline near the Satkhira border. This will help supply fuel-based power plants and industries in the southeastern region of Bangladesh.

An Indian cargo ship carrying a shipment of stone aggregate from Bhutan has arrived in Bangladesh. It passed through the Brahmaputra River in India. It was the first shipment to take the route, saving an estimated 30% transportation cost and travelling at half the time it would take for the shipment to travel by land.

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority will construct a new administrative building, according to Mr. Sagala Ratnayake, Minister, Sri Lanka Ports, Shipping, and Southern Development. SLPA’s old premises along the Colombo harbor will be vacated to make way for the construction of the South Asian Subregional Economic Cooperation Port Access Elevated Highway.

Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance, India, announced during her budget speech on 5 July 2019 that the opening of a protocol route between India and Bangladesh would be the start of a water grid program. The water grid would connect India’s northeaster region to Kolkata and Haldia ports in India and Mongla port in Bangladesh, allowing for seamless movement of import and export cargo and reduced logistics cost.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Konabary and Chandra flyovers; the Kaliakair, Deohata, Mirzapur, and Gharinda underpasses; and the Kadda-1 and Bimail bridges on the Joydebpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga highway under the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation countries (SASEC) road connectivity project.

India could play a crucial role in interconnecting regional energy networks. In this commentary, Mr. Mahendra P. Lama outlines what India needs to approach energy security projects in India and its neighboring countries.

A 46.8-meter bridge over the Omchhu River in Phuentsholing, Bhutan, is now open to motor vehicle traffic. The bridge will ease congestion in Phuentsholing and complement the SASEC bypass road project, which aims to promote regional connectivity and cross-border trade through investment in road construction and land ports.

Senior officials met to review India-Nepal bilateral transit and trade treaties and agreed to discuss inland waterways facilities, which could reduce transit cost significantly once implemented. The two countries also agreed to install facilities for electronic cargo tracking on cargo bound for Nepal.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Southern Development and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority held its final workshop on a National Port Master Plan on 7 March 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The plan is supported by a technical assistance project by the Asian Development Bank financed by the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction.

The Government of Bangladesh has signed an agreement with a Bandgladesh-China joint venture to upgrade 190 kilometers of the Elenga–Hatikumrul–Rangpur section of the Dhaka-Northwest Corridor, under the SASEC program.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena and Mr. Takehiko Nakao, President, Asian Development Bank, signed three agreements, including a $300-million loan to construct about 5.3 kilometers of an elevated toll highway linking Colombo's international port and the country’s expressway network under the South Asian Subregional Economic Cooperation Port Access Elevated Highway Project.

India is working to develop its inland waterways to increase economic connectivity with Southeast Asia. The project will connect India’s northeastern states with Bangladesh and Nepal and boost trade in the region as part of India’s Act East Policy.

The broad-gauge railway line on the new Indo-Nepal railway route running from Janakpur (India) to Kurtha (Nepal) has been laid down, according to Mr. Aman Chitrakar, Senior Engineer, Department of Railways, Government of Nepal. The Government of India supported construction of the 35 kilometer-long railway route. Building of railway stations, terminal buildings, bridges and culverts along the route is approaching completion.

Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi undertook her first state visit to Nepal. She paid a courtesy call to Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli where they explored how to further expand their bilateral ties. At the Nepal Chamber Expo 2018, she delivered a speech urging both countries to improve economic relations. She also emphasized both countries’ membership to the SASEC program.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first inland waterways terminal on the Ganga River in Varanasi, and received the first inland container vessel which journeyed from Kolkata. The Prime Minister heralded the arrival of the container as 'historic' for India. The inland waterways terminal is part of a planned multimodal terminal on the Ganga in Varanasi. The waterway route links eastern Uttar Pradesh to the Bay of Bengal. It promises to save time and money, lessen road traff

Bangladesh and India signed three bilateral memoranda of understanding to strengthen transport between the two countries using inland waterways. The pacts include an agreement for the use of Mongla and Chattogram (formerly Chittagong) ports in Bangladesh for transporting goods to and from India and the operation of cruise vessels on the protocol routes.

A new project to improve Nepal’s East-West Highway is set to strengthen regional connectivity, promote growth and trade, and improve road safety. An 87-kilometer section of the East-West Highway, also known as the Mahendra Highway, will be widened to four lanes and will be improved to include a center median, service lanes in populated areas, and a drainage system.

A seminar on inland waterways emphasized on the potential impact of connectivity between India and Nepal. As a cost-effective, safe, and environment-friendly transport option, it could shape the future of trade, tourism, and navigation between India and Nepal, according to Mr. Barsha Man Pun, Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Government of Nepal. Access to India's Haldia port may also open the market to Nepal’s less marketed commodities, noted Mr. Pun.

A toll highway to be built in central Colombo will ease traffic congestion, improve connectivity, and facilitate trade logistics in Sri Lanka. The Asian Development Bank has approved a $300 million loan to help in the construction of about 5.3 kilometers of the highway, under the SASEC Port Access Elevated Highway Project.

A team of technical experts from Nepal undertook an official visit to India to (i) study India’s inland waterway infrastructures in consideration of Nepal's needs, and (ii) hold discussions with their counterparts in India. This field visit follows the meeting between Indian and Nepalese government officials held in July 2018 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Foreign Ministers of BIMSTEC member countries approved in principle around 167 projects to improve connectivity in the region. The projects, detailed in a study by the Asian Development Bank, are worth an estimated $50 billion. It includes transportation and cross-border facilitation, multimodal transport and logistics, infrastructure development, aviation, maritime transport, human resources development, communication linkages, and networking in the region.

India began implementation of the United Nations TIR Convention to transform the country’s trade and transport by activating regional connectivity and advancing global trade prospects. The TIR Convention provides global access to markets, connecting India to the wider TIR network that includes Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia and Central Asia.

How efficiently a country moves physical goods across and within borders determines how it participates in international markets. This editorial from The Financial Express suggests areas that Bangladesh needs to focus on to improve logistics performance, enhance participation in global trade, and stimulate economic growth.

The Governments of India and Nepal convened the 6th Meeting of the Project Steering Committee for the Implementation of India-Nepal Cross Border Rail Link Projects. The Meeting highlighted the early finalization of the Memorandum of Understanding for the preliminary engineering/traffic survey of the Raxaul (India)-Kathmandu (Nepal) rail line.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) submitted the Jogighopa Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) pre-feasibility study report to the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, Government of India, on 19 June 2018. The Government of India (GoI) requested for ADB's support to conduct MMLP pre-feasibility studies at select locations, including Jogighopa in Assam, India.

Establishing an additional air route via Nepal will help reduce congestion and enhance air traffic safety in the region. In this commentary, Mr. Tri Ratna Manandhar, former Director General of Civil Aviation Authority, Nepal, discusses how India and Nepal could work together to implement the Himalaya Route.

Bangladesh’s Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has approved a project to install a high-voltage direct-current back-to-back substation at Comilla in Bangladesh for importing 500 megawatts of electricity from Tripura, India.

The 9th Annual Ministerial Meeting of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) on Trade and Transport was held to discussed key issues in transport, transit cooperation, trade, and trade facilitation among LLDCs. Bhutan and Nepal sent delegations to the Meeting. They highlighted initiatives being taken to connect their countries to the global market, including bilateral agreements in the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal subregion and the SASEC Trade Facilitation Program.

This case study reviews how the Subregional Transport Facilitation Project removed roadblocks to Nepal's trade. The project, approved in 4 November 2004 and completed in 21 September 2010, made flow of import and export goods to Nepal easier, faster, and smoother. Learn how the project lowered the cost of capital for cargo in Nepal by 12% annually, making the country better connected to the subregional economy.

The Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India is reviewing feasibility studies for potential railway linkages between India and Bhutan. The studies conducted by the Northeast Frontier Railway include five possible routes.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry is fast-tracking implementation of the United Nations TIR Convention, following the Indian government’s initiatives to promote trade expansion, particularly along the international North-South Transport Corridor.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council of the Government of Bangladesh approved revisions to the project to upgrade the Joydevpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga Road into a four-lane highway. Revisions include extension of deadline and increase in funding. The Asian Development Bank will provide financing support through the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) road connectivity project.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council of the Government of Bangladesh approved the double laning of the railway track from Khulna to Darshana. Darshana, a rail transit point, lies on the Bangladesh-India border. Spanning around 217 kilometers, the double rail line will establish rail connectivity with India, with links toward Bhutan and Nepal. It will also provide access to Mongla Port.

The Governments of India and Nepal held an India-Nepal Inter-Governmental Committee Meeting on Trade, Transit, and Cooperation to Control Unauthorised Trade, led by Commerce Secretaries of the two Governments. They discussed bilateral trade, transit, and economic relations, and agreed to conclude measures to further improve bilateral trade and investment ties.

Bangladesh, India, and Nepal conducted a trial bus service run on 24-25 April 2018. Two buses left Dhaka, Bangladesh, for Kathmandu, Nepal, carrying delegates from the three countries and the ADB. The Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement enables the bus service.

This commentary by Ms. Dikshya Singh, Research Officer at South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment, puts forward that the decision to connect India and Nepal via inland waterways is a "landmark decision" that is worth pursuing. While modalities have yet to be set by the two Governments, the option to connect Nepal to India's waterways promises to further boost Nepal's trade facilitation and make India's inland waterways infrastructure project more financially viable.

The Government of Bangladesh's Cabinet Committee on Purchase approved a proposal to import 500 megawatts of electricity from India from June 2018 to May 2033 to help meet the country's energy demand. The Committee also cleared a proposal appointing Texmaco Rail and Engineering from India to build the dual gauge rail line from Akhaura to Agartala.

The National Highways Authority of India signed on 11 April 2018 an agreement to widen the Yagyi-Kalewa section of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. Construction is also underway for the Imphal-Kangchup-Tamenglong road under the SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program. These projects will improve the flow of vehicular traffic and enhance trade, health services, and tourism in India, Myanmar, and Thailand.

India and Nepal are set to be linked by rail with the agreement by the Governments of both countries to connect Raxaul, a border city in India, to Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city, by rail. Preparatory survey work will be conducted by the Government of India, in consultation with the Government of Nepal, for a new electrified rail line within one year.

Selected commercial and personal vehicles, including a passenger bus service, will join a trial run from Dhaka, Bangladesh to Kathmandu, Nepal on 23-26 April 2018. The route will pass through the Banglabandha (Bangladesh)-Phulbari (India) border and through Panitanki (India)-Kakarbhitta (Nepal) border. Senior officials of the governments of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal have agreed to operate more cargo and passenger buses along key routes in the region to enhance connectivity.

Providing a boon to relations between India and Myanmar, Indian Railways delivered 18 AC/DC 1350 horsepower diesel electric locomotives to Myanmar Railways six months ahead of schedule. Funded with an Indian line of credit, the fuel-efficient locomotives are fitted with micro-processor control-based systems, equipped with the latest technology, and runs at a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour.

The Government of Nepal is aiming to finalize the transshipment modality with the Government of India for its third country trade. It will be part of the agenda in the upcoming Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) meeting in April in Pokhara, Nepal, headed by India and Nepal commerce secretaries.

Bangladesh's 'Look East Policy' and Thailand's 'Look West Policy' could be synchronized to create new trade and economic connectivity corridors, according to Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-chaon during a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali. They discussed a range of bilateral cooperation, including shipping, trade, energy, and those under BIMSTEC.

This video showcases how innovations for trade facilitation have enabled businesses in the BBIN subregion to tap into regional value chains and flourish globally. More developments in facilitating trade and enhancing connectivity are planned and underway to help boost trade, enhance regional integration, and promote economic opportunities.

The Government of Bangladesh plans to convert around 67 kilometers of meter-gauge rail line into dual gauge to establish railway connectivity with Bhutan, India, and Nepal. This move could help boost trade among the three countries.

Deep integration is needed to generate economic growth in South Asia. By integrating trade in goods and services and transport facilities, South Asian countries will be able to better participate in global trade.

In her keynote address at the dialogue on BiMSTEC at 20—Priorities for the Future, Ms. Grace Asirwatham, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka, reflects on the prospects for connectivity and prosperity among BIMSTEC member countries and explores the organization's priorities, including trade, transport, energy, and climate change.

India's Ministry of Shipping reported planned dredging works in the Zakiganj-Ashuganj section of the Kushiyara river and in the Sirajganj-Daikhowa section of the Jamuna river to help develop year-round navigation. Dredging will be executed by the two countries, subsequent to the decision taken in the meeting of the Shipping Secretaries in December 2016.

India's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will prioritize plans to construct 2,000 kilometers of roads linking India's major highway corridors to international trade points in South Asia. MoRTH Minister Nitin Gadkari highlights that this plan, worth Rs 25,000 crore, will facilitate export/import trade with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Nepal. The Ministry also took steps to operationalize the BBIN MVA.

India has proposed a $1 billion line of credit (LOC) to strengthen sea, air, and road connectivity with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, India. India and Myanmar are working together to upgrade infrastructure in the border areas, including the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway, and the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project.

The second India-Myanmar-Thailand Friendship Motor Rally successfully completed a journey from India to Thailand on 3 December 2017. The rally was flagged off from Guwahati, India, and proceeded toward Myanmar, passing through Kalay, Bagan, Mandalay, Yangon, and Mawlamyine. The rally then crossed the border to Mae Sot, Thailand, and reached Bangkok via Sukhothai.

ADB held a Regional Cooperation and Integration (RCI) Week to asses strategic RCI themes and initiatives in Asia and the Pacific and to define ADB implementation of its RCI Operational Plan. ADB also presented RCI Best Performers Awards, recognizing the SASEC Program for the SASEC Vision: Powering Asia in the 21st Century, and for leading the SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program Multitranche Financing Facility Project.

In his keynote address at the ADB Regional Cooperation and Integration Week, ADB President Takehiko Nakao stated that regional cooperation is critical to securing Asia’s economic future. He noted ADB’s continued commitment to support regional cooperation as a means to reduce inequality and overcome infrastructure gaps, and cited specific SASEC projects as effective examples. The ADB Regional Cooperation and Integration Week was held on 27-29 November 2017, in Manila, Philippines.

At the Second Ministerial Conference on Regional Cooperation and Integration (RECI) organized by UNESCAP and ADB, government ministers and participants committed to support the implementation of the agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The ministers said RECI should be consistent with the SDGs in contributing to social progress and environmental sustainability.

The Second Meeting of the BIMSTEC Transport Connectivity Working Group discussed the BIMSTEC Master Plan on Transport Connectivity. The Master Plan is envisaged to provide an overarching framework for BIMSTEC in enhancing transport connectivity among its member countries.

Completion of infrastructure to connect inland waterways of India and Bangladesh could ease movement between the two countries, and make transport of freight to Nepal and Bhutan faster and less expensive. Opening inland waterways would make alternative modes of transport viable and could open up livelihood opportunities, helping facilitate trade in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal, according to experts attending a forum on subregional inland waterways.

A groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of the Northern Bypass construction in Phuentsholing, Bhutan, which includes the 2.7-kilometer bypass road and 120-meter bridge over Omchhu. The project is funded by the Asian Development Bank under the SASEC Program to improve Bhutan's regional connectivity, and open up access to better economic opportunities and social services.

The Asian Development Bank has approved $1.2 billion financing support for the second phase upgrade of the Dhaka-Northwest international trade corridor, the second busiest artery in Bangladesh. Upgrading this corridor will improve access to the Burimari Land Port, which links Bangladesh to Bhutan through India, potentially increasing trade.

The Government of India has taken steps to implement the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA), coordinating with the Governments of Bangladesh and Nepal through the Ministry of External Affairs to enforce the transport agreement between and among themselves, reported Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport, Highways, and Shipping Minister, India.

India has formed the India-Myanmar Chamber of Commerce (IMCC) in Yangon to increase trade between the two countries, which currently stands at around $2 billion. IMCC will focus on helping Indian business invest in Myanmar and vice versa.

The 18th session of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Senior Officials' Meeting and the 15th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting stressed the importance of cooperation in energy, technology, trade, and transport, through a revitalized, more integrated, and stronger BIMSTEC process. The Joint Statement underscored the need to finalize the BIMSTEC Free Trade Area Agreement.

Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, India, urged India and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to bolster efforts to increase bilateral trade and investment, and improve road and sea transport links. She urged a review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement to facilitate elimination of technical barriers to trade, and promoted transformation of the India-Southeast Asia transport corridors into economic corridors.

The new Agreement on Trade, Commerce, and Transit between India and Bhutan has come into force beginning 29 July 2017. It provides for a free trade regime between the territories of India and Bhutan, and allows duty free transit of Bhutanese goods for trade with third countries.

India’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval for a $253,406,409 project to be implemented by the state-run National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation. The project, part of the SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program, will upgrade and widen 65 kilometers of the Imphal-Moreh section of National Highway 39 in northeastern India.

Mr. Prabir De, Professor at the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, discusses how the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) subregional grouping’s focus to bridge connectivity gaps is crucial to reducing poverty in the region. He highlights the pressing need to begin implementing comprehensive trade facilitation and connectivity measures in the BBIN subregion, and remarks how success of the BBIN initiative is important to move broader regional integration initiative

The International Trade Centre's Trade Map reports an increase in intraregional trade in the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) subregion in 2016, from $21.65 billion in 2015 to $23.52 billion. The ratio of BBIN intraregional trade to world trade went up from 2.98% in 2015 to 3.34% in 2016.

The Government of India has proposed application of its "Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik" (UDAN) or "Common People of the Country can Fly" policy among member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). An enabling regional connectivity policy could help attract high value economic agents, business travelers, and tourists.

An electronic tracking system will soon ease traffic-in-transit for cargo traveling by road and rail from Kolkata to four major Customs points of Nepal, including the Raxaul route. Mr. Sandeep Kumar, Customs Commissioner, India, and Mr. Rabi Shanker Sainju, Commerce Ministry Joint Secretary, Nepal, signed a memorandum of intent to pilot the tracking system for a trial period of at least 90 days in late 2017.

The Government of India plans to begin construction of the highway connecting Meghalaya to Myanmar in June 2017, according to the Ministry of Road Transport, Highways, and Shipping, India. India also plans to boost waterway transit for more cost-effective transport of goods, and is considering waterway connectivity between Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Economic transformations have accelerated regional cooperation and integration in Asia. In this ADB blog post, Mr. Cuong Minh Nguyen, Principal Regional Integration Specialist, Southeast Asia Department, ADB, discusses six paradigm shifts that are reshaping economic prospects in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and other parts of the region. It also highlights the need for governments to work together to build a socially inclusive, environmentally friendly, and economically sustainable region.

The Secretary General of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) advised member countries to look at regional cooperation in a pragmatic way, with efforts to build regional cooperation focusing on achieving practical results, at the conference marking BIMSTEC’s 20th anniversary.

A delegation of the India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) met with Mr. Shajahan Khan, Shipping Minister, Bangladesh, to discuss trade bottlenecks in Bangladesh-India land ports. Infrastructural and administrative bottlenecks in land and sea ports of Bangladesh and India slows down the trade process. Long delays for trucks to pass through Customs, for example, results in shortages of warehouses and trucks, and skyrocketing prices in truck rentals.

The SASEC Vision lays out opportunities through industry linkages and regional trade:

• Watch the video: Powering Asia in the 21st Century 
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Finance ministers and senior officials of member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka met on 5 May at Yokohama, Japan, at the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) 50th Annual General Meeting.

India has signed investment agreements worth $31 million at the Integrated Transport and Logistics Summit in New Delhi, India. The agreements form part of the Government of India’s holistic approach to spur infrastructure growth, according to Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport and Shipping Minister, India.

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited India on 25-29 April 2017, for discussion with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a range of bilateral issues and matters of mutual interest. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe welcomed the signing of the MoU for Cooperation in Economic Projects, which outlines the agenda for bilateral economic cooperation.

SASEC Powering Asia in the 21st Century defines the SASEC Vision, setting the SASEC partnership on a path to help transform the subregion into Asia's powerhouse in the 21st century. The Vision steps up cooperation among SASEC member countries, guiding them how to transform transport corridors into industrial and economic corridors, and promoting sustainable economic growth by generating synergies among SASEC member countries.

Bangladesh has the potential to become a transport hub for India, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Myamar, according to Mr. AMA Muhith, Finance Minister, Bangladesh. Turning Bangladesh into a regional and transshipment hub would enhance economic cooperation and result in collective economic growth for the countries, Mr. Muhith said at the SASEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, India.

The Commerce Secretaries of the Government of Bhutan and the Government of Bangladesh met on 23-24 March 2017 in Thimphu, Bhutan, to discuss the promotion of trade and commerce. The Secretaries agreed to negotiate an inland water transit protocol, and initiate a memorandum of understanding for mutual recognition of standards and classifications.

The Eighth BIMSTEC Roundtable Meeting tackled “Rewriting the Rulebook of Regional Connectivity,” emphasizing the need to resolve border-related trade barriers through coordination of government policies across Asia, including Customs procedures and clearance of goods, to unlock the vibrancy of the Asian Highway and reduce the cost of doing business.

India's Ministry of Shipping will set up an international river port in Sonamura, connecting Gomati River in Tripura, in India's northeast, with Meghna river in Bangladesh. India’s Inland Waterways Authority approved the proposal to enable small ferries and boats to transport goods through river transit, according to Minister of State for Industries and Commerce.

Bilateral trade between India and Myanmar increased from nearly $11.9 million in 2013-2014 to around $22.2 million in 2015-2016, according to India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry. India's Act East Policy was instrumental in promoting trade growth between the two countries, deepening economic cooperation and expanding trade through India's Northeast region.

India filed a draft Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) on Services at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 23 February 2017. The proposal aims to increase transparency, reduce costs and facilitate cross-border flows of services. India is looking to push the proposal at the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in December.

Good connectivity reduces the cost of doing business and increases the competitive strengths of trading partners. In this commentary, Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue, highlights how a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement and an effective Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement would promote South Asian integration and step up Asia-wide cooperation.

The Ganges flows through the middle of Bihar, India, physically dividing it into north and south. Enhanced connectivity can improve lives and livelihoods, especially if the infrastructure is climate-sensitive. Ms. Saleha Waseem, Operations Communications Specialist at the Asian Development Bank’s South Asia Regional Department, shows how improving transport links would make a huge difference to millions of people.

The second meeting of the Nepal-India Oversight Mechanism, held on 30 January 2017 in Kathmandu, Nepal, reviewed progress of India-funded economic and development projects in Nepal, and agreed to expedite implementation of these projects for timely completion. Projects discussed included cross-border railways, integrated check posts, and cross-border transmission lines.

A railway network linking India and its neighboring countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Nepal, is being considered by the Government of India, according to India Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. Developing railway connectivity will increase employment, interaction, trade, and tourism.

The interactive session “Harnessing Regional Cooperation in South Asia” held at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum discussed how regional economic cooperation is helping accelerate growth and development. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina emphasized continuous initiatives, in economic cooperation in South Asia, including SAFTA and SASEC. India Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman lauded initiatives to boost connectivity.

India is set to join the Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR), or International Road Transport Convention in its bid to establish seamless trade connectivity with Southeast Asia and Eurasian countries. Through the TIR Convention, India could access Eurasia via the International North-South Transport Corridor. TIR would also give India an advantage in trade with fellow signatories of the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement.

Two of three South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation project components are seeing progress in Bhutan. A planned mini dry port project aims to provide cargo and other commercial vehicles a route that avoids traffic jams in the border town of Phuentsholing. A 2.66-kilometer bypass will also be built to connect Bau Bazaar in Jaigon and the Phuentsholing-Thimphu highway.

Bangladesh Railway has set out a 20-year plan in a bid to increase the transport body’s market share. The plan includes 235 railway projects at a cost of $30 billion. The country currently has 2,877 kilometers of railroads and has made plans to add another 375 kilometers. ADB will be funding the 129-kilometer Dohazari-Gundum railway line at a cost of $1.5 billion. Such projects are expected to boost economic growth in Bangladesh.

An India-Myanmar-Thailand Friendship Motor Car Rally, beginning in New Delhi, India and culminating in Bangkok, Thailand, has highlighted potential benefits of intra-regional connectivity and integration, and sensitized stakeholders on the all-weather road that will make travel from New Delhi to Bangkok by road possible.

The Colombo Shipping Corporation is planning to re-establish ferry linkages under public-private partnership. A SAARC Meeting of Experts from India, Maldives and Sri Lanka, recommended resumption of ferry services between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. 

The Asian Development Bank has approved a loan for $187 million to Nepal for the SASEC Roads Improvement Project, which will upgrade transport connectivity and bring transformational gains by making social services more accessible, opening up previously untapped economic opportunities, and supporting trade between Nepal and India.

The SASEC project portfolio has surpassed the $9 billion mark with the December 2016 approval of Nepal’s SASEC Roads Improvement Project, worth $256.5 million. There are now 44 SASEC investment projects worth a cumulative $9.13 billion. During 2016, seven projects have been approved for a total of $2.37 billion.

The National Council of Bhutan voted against ratification of the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) at a session held on 15 November 2016. Council members delivered thirteen “no” votes, two “yes”, and five abstentions.

Government officials of Bangladesh and Nepal will conduct a joint survey on a potential road route under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA), starting from5 December 2016. It will check road conditions, length of travel, and necessary infrastructure to ensure seamless movement of vehicles.

Nepal Minister for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat urged conclusion of the SAARC Agreement on Promotion and Protection of Investment to deepen economic integration among South Asian countries, and emphasized the need to improve connectivity in the region at the inauguration of the Fourteenth Annual Conference of the South Asian Network of Economic Research.

The SASEC Operational Plan, which aligns and brings together all SASEC sectoral strategies, was launched in Kathmandu, Nepal. With 37 of the 200 planned projects set to be implemented in Nepal, the Government’s policy reform efforts to integrate with global markets is set to receive a significant boost.

A new Agreement on Trade, Commerce, and Transit between India and Bhutan, enabling a free trade regime between the two countries, and providing for duty-free transit of Bhutanese merchandise for trade with third countries, has been approved by the Cabinet of India, in a meeting chaired by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr. S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, India, called on Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena to discuss potential partnerships between India and Sri Lanka in sectors including energy, infrastructure, and transport, and Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to further discuss boosting bilateral trade and investment.

A high-level panel formed by the Governments of India and Nepal will work to address bottlenecks in infrastructure projects in Nepal funded by the Government of India—including hydropower projects, roads and railways—to ensure their timely completion.

The Governments of India and Bangladesh have begun the process of acquiring land in Bangladesh to build the new India-Bangladesh railway project. The 15 kilometer (km) railway will connect Agartala (India) to Akhaura (Bangladesh), and reduce the 1,613-km mountainous distance between Agartala and Kolkata to 514 km.

Mr. Romi Gauchan Thakali, Minister for Commerce, Nepal, emphasized the need to finalize and implement the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Free Trade Area (FTA) Framework Agreement, to help boost growth among least developed and developing nations in South and Southeast Asia. He also highlighted implementation of the BIMSTEC Transport Infrastructure and Logistics Study.

In recent years, countries in South Asia have shown increasing commitment to deepening regional cooperation through bilateral agreements and regional initiatives, including the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement. This commentary by Ms. Nahela Nowshin of the Centre for Policy Dialogue discusses the importance of regional initiatives in South Asia, as well as the need to promote dialogue on matters of regional cooperation and connectivity.

The Asian Development Bank has approved a multitranche loan of $1.5 billion to the Government of Bangladesh for construction of a key section of the Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar railway line—the largest ever investment in railways by ADB. The new line will improve Bangladesh’s access to Myanmar and beyond, facilitate trade, and boost tourism in southeastern Bangladesh.

The India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway is set to be completed by 2019-2020. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assigned the India Ministry of External Affairs to monitor and oversee its completion.

A new chapter in trade relations and people-to-people contact between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) began on 5 September 2016, as a Bangladeshi cargo truck rolled into the Customs Inland Container Depot, Patparganj, Delhi. Though the vehicle entered India through Petrapole Land Customs Station, Customs clearance was done at the ICD, Patparganj, as part of a trial run of the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement.

As part of the Government of India’s Act East Policy, Indian Railways is set to provide a rail link to Bhutan to boost ties with its South Asian neighbors. Feasibility studies have been conducted for extended links between Kokrajhar-Gelephu, Rangiya-Samdrupjonkhar, Banarhat-Samtse, and Pathsala-Nanglam. India’s Northeast Frontier Railway has also undertaken survey work for rail connectivity to Nepal and Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is pushing for the development of railway corridors with India to facilitate trade and investment among BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal) countries. To help boost regional trade, Bangladesh Railway is looking to revive five routes to India, and build railway links to connect with Bhutan and Nepal.

Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport and Shipping Minister, India, led the inauguration of the Varanasi-Haldia inland waterway route, laying the foundation stone for an inland waterway terminal, and flagging off a trial run of two cargo vessels from Varanasi to Haldia Port near Kolkata, a route that touches Nepal’s two major rivers—Koshi and Gandaki.

The Ministry of Shipping, Government of Bangladesh, has ordered upgrading of the Banglabandha Land Port to cater to rising trade with Nepal. This includes improving and building new loading and unloading sheds, and other needed infrastructure, such as warehouses, vehicle parking, and the road leading to the port.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) India Business Council (AIBC) called for opening of trade between India's northeastern states and the ASEAN region, in a meeting with India Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. AIBC also sought to finalize the ASEAN-India Transit Transport Agreement before completion of the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway.

Development of infrastructure at Sheola, Thegamukh, and Bhomra land ports under the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) initiative for regional connectivity will increase economic activity, according to a feasibility study report jointly undertaken by India and the People’s Republic of China. The report was presented at a National Public Consultation Workshop in Bangladesh on 11 August 2016.

India is upbeat on India-Bangladesh bilateral relations, particularly on connectivity and bilateral trade. Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, High Commissioner of lndia to Bangladesh, emphasized at a Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry meeting, that Bangladesh is integral to India’s Act East Policy and noted the many efforts to link the two countries.

River management provides opportunities to release regenerative capacities of the people and environment of basin-wide areas. The following article suggests South Asian countries cooperate to fulfill a promise of greater sustainability. Cooperation in water resource management can serve as a catalyst for broader regional cooperation, economic integration, and development.

The Government of India is planning to develop an economic hub in the port city of Sittwe, Myanmar, that will help boost India's connectivity to Southeast Asia.

Indian Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Bangladeshi Railway Minister Mazibul Hoque jointly laid the foundation stone for the 15 kilometer (km) Agartala (India)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway project. This rail link reduces the Agartala-Kolkata distance from 1,613 km to 514 km.

South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) investment projects increased to a cumulative $7.66 billion in the areas of transport, energy, trade facilitation, and ICT with the recent approval of India’s Bihar New Ganga Bridge Project. To date, 40 SASEC-supported projects are helping member countries strengthen regional connectivity infrastructure, promote economic growth, and foster regional cooperation. In addition, there are now 71 technical assistance projects worth $66.14 mi

Implementation of the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) may start in December, according to Bangladesh Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, while speaking at a closing ceremony of a drivers' training on road safety.

India's National Green Tribunal has approved registration of a Delhi-Kathmandu bus service by the Delhi Transport Corporation, offering transit between select destinations in India and Nepal. The bus service was launched to further enhance economic ties between the two countries

The BIMSTEC free trade agreement (FTA) currently under negotiation by the inter-regional organization could benefit the region's trade by helping operationalize production links among member countries and eliminating non-tariff measures within a mutually agreed timeframe. BIMSTEC members are also considering a single visa proposal and extension of the BBIN transport agreement to Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.

Mr. Hun Kim, Director General, South Asia Department, ADB, describes how partnership of 6 South Asian countries through the ADB-supported South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program is helping propel economic growth in South Asia, amidst an uncertain regional and global economic climate, by working to increase trade volumes to reduce the number of impoverished people in the region.

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) signed a landmark Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) meant to allow smooth passage of goods and passenger vehicles in each other’s territories. In this blog post, Sanjay Kathuria, Lead Economist and Coordinator, South Asia Regional Integration, Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank, asks if South Asia is truly ready for such a regional agreement.

Talks to implement a regular bus service between India and Thailand through Myanmar are underway as part of a Motor Vehicle Agreement being finalized by India, Myanmar, and Thailand (IMT). The service would run on the 1,400 kilometer IMT Trilateral Highway linking South and Southeast Asia.

Business leaders at the recent Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) Business Forum and Expo said they want to see an industrial zone in Panchagarh, Bangladesh, as this would be close to Biratnagar in Nepal, Phuntsholing in Bhutan, and Siliguri in India.

Plans are underway to open up coastal shipping routes between Bangladesh and India to passenger and cruise vessels. According to Bangladesh Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, the two countries are in talks to sign a memorandum of understanding allowing Indian vessels through Bangladesh's waterways, to ease travel to India's northeast.

The BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) is making it easier for passengers and freight vehicles in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal to travel around the region. BBIN finalized the MVA in an effort to facilitate cross-border trade and travel in South Asia. A BBIN Business Forum sees energy and water cooperation playing a vital role in taking integration even further in the region.

BBIN Business Forum states that Customs duties and taxation must be harmonized in order to improve trade among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal. Following the successful signing of the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement (BBIN MVA), the countries must now pursue ways to make the movement of goods and people easier.

The Rampura-Amulia-Demra public-private partnership (PPP) road project in Bangadesh will be developed into a four-lane 13.5-kilometer access road under a transaction advisory services agreement between the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Bangladesh Public–Private Partnership Authority. The project complements ADB’s existing support to the Bangladesh Roads and Highways Department for intercity road connectivity under the SASEC Program.

The interactive SASEC Corridor Map on the SASEC Program website and SASEC Mobile App is your gateway to SASEC projects. View projects by sector—energy, transport, trade facilitation, and ICT—or by corridor using the interactive map, to learn how the SASEC program is helping promote regional prosperity in South Asia. The map also includes project information and links to SASEC project pages.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has earmarked $4.10 billion for Bangladesh for the 2016-2019 period, subject to project readiness. This includes $50 million for the proposed SASEC Road Connectivity Project-II and $200 million for the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar railway project. The ADB is also allotting $300 million for power generation and $194 million for rural infrastructure maintenance.

The Asian Development Bank has approved a $500-million loan to build a bridge across the Ganges River that will link India and Nepal. The 9.8-kilometer bridge will be India’s longest river bridge and will help people move between jobs and markets. It is projected to benefit 9 million people, especially those in poorer communities.

India is set to begin work on the Bihar New Ganga Bridge Project, which is expected to become the longest river bridge in India at 9.8 kilometers (km). The road bridge spanning the Ganges River will improve transport connectivity between north and south Bihar, India, and enhance the existing road corridors between India and Nepal. ADB is providing $500 million for the project and $900,000 in technical assistance to improve bridge operation and management.

Cargo bound for Nepal was flagged off symbolically from Visakhapatnam Port in India on 24 June 2016, signaling to traders that the port is ready to facilitate exports and imports as Nepal's second gateway port. A delegation from Nepal is in Visakhapatnam to see through implementation of the agreement and discuss modalities of cargo transit with Customs officials from India.

Bhutan's National Assembly ratified the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement (BBIN MVA) on 21 June 2016 with 28 votes. Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay reiterated that the BBIN MVA would regulate cross-border movement of vehicles in the subregion through formulation of protocols. Implementation of the BBIN MVA will help strengthen Bhutan's existing ties with India, and boost cooperation and integration within the subregion.

Launch of the Bangladesh-India transshipment facility concluded with the successful delivery of steel rods from Kolkata, India to Agartala, the capital of Tripura, through Akhaura land port in Bangladesh, onboard Bangladeshi trucks. The facility will allow India to deliver goods to the northeast region in an estimated 10-day time, and help boost trade in the region by enabling Bangladesh to transport goods to Nepal and Bhutan via India, and give India access to Myanmar via Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has adopted a multi-dimensional plan to upgrade 1,752 kilometers of highways to four lanes. The Government of Bangladesh is already implementing the 69-kilometer Joydebpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga four-lane project under the SASEC Road Connectivity Project.

The Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement is a landmark framework agreement signed by the transport ministers of the BBIN countries last June 2015 in Thimphu, Bhutan. Mr. Ronald Butiong, Director, Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination, South Asia Regional Department, Asian Development Bank (ADB), describes how it is paving the way for a more integrated and more prosperous South Asian region in an ADB blog entry.

The Government of Bangladesh has completed its feasibility study and detailed design for a planned 38-km Jessore-Benapole highway upgrade. It is set to inject more than $42 million to fund the Indo-Bangladesh transport corridor improvement to facilitate trade and connectivity. The Jessore-Benapole highway is central to several regional connectivity initiatives, including the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement and SAARC highway corridors.

Nepal's private sector stakeholders are seeking a dedicated railway line from Nepal to Indian sea ports, including the Visakhapatnam Port, to reduce the cost of trade in the country. Mr. Rajan Sharma, Transport and Transit Committee Chair of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, noted that direct access to India's Visakhapatnam Port could bring transformational changes to Nepal's economy.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Development Fund (SDF) and SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry have pledged to collaborate and co-finance projects under the SDF's social, economic and infrastructure windows to promote regional connectivity across the SAARC region.

The 15-kilometer broad gauge rail service from Agartala, India to Akhaura, Bangladesh is set to be inaugurated in June 2016. Funded by the Government of India, the railway project will reduce the 1,650-km distance between Agartala and Kolkata to 550 km and is foreseen to boost bilateral trade and business between the two neighboring countries.

Bhutan is upgrading three domestic airports—Bumthang, Gelephu, and Yonphula—to enhance their capacity, safety, and efficiency. The Asian Development Bank is providing additional financing for this SASEC project, to further strengthen safety and security, and improve passenger convenience and service at these airports.

A proposed SASEC road upgrade project in Bangladesh will improve the country’s transport system and enhance trade and investment in the region, according to Mr. Obaidul Quader of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Development Fund (SAARC SDF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a memorandum of understanding to undertake development projects in the South Asian region.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali paid a courtesy call on the King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. The King lauded Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's initiatives to boost Bangladesh-Bhutan bilateral relations, and emphasized the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) cooperation as a platform to achieve regional prosperity.

India is planning to develop regional connectivity projects worth around $5 billion under the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-supported SASEC Program, according to Mr. Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, India. These initiatives include two priority road corridors that will boost connectivity with its neighbors in South and Southeast Asia and complementary integrated check posts and land Customs stations. India and ADB will also work together to develop the East Coast Econom

A World Customs Organization (WCO) Subregional Workshop on Transit Corridors in South Asia considered improvement of regional transit regimes in the region. Progress of the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement, as well as national experiences of Japan, Switzerland and Malawi in implementing efficient transit regimes, was discussed.

The Economic Cooperation Dialogue on Regional Connectivity and Border Special Development Zones in Eastern South Asia highlighted the importance of transport corridors to promote trade and economic cooperation in the region. Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Head, UNESCAP Subregional Office for South and South-West Asia, shared how developing transport corridors can turn constraints faced by the region's landlocked countries into opportunities.

A railway agreement in the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) subregion is being proposed, in line with expansion of railway links boosting connectivity between India's Northeast and its BBIN neighbors. According to Mr. Mukul Kumar, Director (Transport), Railway Board, Ministry of Railways, Government of India, this initiative will facilitate cross-border transport of goods and people, and enable efficient multimodal transport system to integrate and sustain the region's economic growth.

Version 2.0 of the SASEC Program Mobile App is now available for download. With improved user interface and layout, updated offline data, faster caching, and smaller app size, the updated SASEC Program Mobile App is lighter, quicker, and more user friendly.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) of Bangladesh approved an updated budget of around $2.3 billion for the 129.6 kilometer Dohazari-Ramu-Cox's Bazar dual gauge railway project. The proposed railway track will be linked to the Trans-Asian Railway, connecting Bangladesh to India and Myanmar.

India's Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari announced the Government's updated target to complete the Sagar Mala program in 5 years at the Maritime India Summit. The project will help reduce logistics costs, boost merchandise exports by $110 million, and create 10 million new jobs.

Dr. Pritam Banerjee, Senior Director, Corporate Public Policy (South Asia), Deutsche Post DHL, reported that the first trial run of cargo vehicles on the Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala route under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) sub-regional framework, enabled a better understanding of future needs and solutions for safe and efficient movement of cargo across BBIN borders.

Dr. Selim Reihan notes that drivers of political economy can impact the region's integration agenda. In this essay, Dr. Raihan highlights the importance of exploring the political economy of regional integration to generate a better assessment of the factors driving and constraining regional integration, and create broader awareness among stakeholders to stimulate a more realistic and effective regional policy design and processes.

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, in a meeting with outgoing Bhutan Ambassador to Bangladesh Pema Choden, highlighted how implementation of the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) will expand the scope of trade and investment in the subregion. They also discussed how bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Bhutan could be enhanced.

India Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar discussed initiatives being pursued by India in line with its 'neighborhood first' policy, in his address at the 42nd Standing Committee Meeting of SAARC. He also emphasized the need to implement the South Asia Economic Union, and sign the SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement and SAARC Railways Agreement.

Construction of a new road from Imphal City to Tamenglong via Kangchup was officially inaugurated by Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. The 103-kilometer road improvement is part of a larger program to improve a key strategic thoroughfare on the Asian Highway, integrating South and Southeast Asia, bordering Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Nepal. It is funded by an Asian Development Bank loan, approved in March 2014.

Major upgrades to modernize the Tangail-Rangpur Highway—which is part of the 1,741 kilometers (km) linking Bangladesh with the Asian Highway, and the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal road network—are being proposed by Bangladesh Road and Highways Department, to include road widening and construction of bridges, flyovers, and culverts. The plan is currently being reviewed by Bangladesh Planning Ministry.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally opened Bangladesh Railway’s 64-kilometer Tongi-Bhairab double-rail track on the Dhaka-Chittagong route, which is expected to speed up rail travel between Dhaka and Chittagong by at least an hour and a half. The Asian Development Bank funded the $162.5 million project through the SASEC program.

Regional economic connectivity initiatives, including the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement, can change the business landscape of Bangladesh, said Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque at a meeting of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  The BBIN MVA will transform 30 transport corridors into economic corridors, and is set to give subregional businesses a boost.

A delegation from the Port Authority of Thailand and officials from Bangladesh's Ministry of Shipping held the first official discussion on direct coastal shipping connectivity between Bangladesh and Thailand. The two countries agreed to carry out a feasibility study on the Chittagong Port, with the aim of signing a memorandum of understanding.

The third meeting of the Joint Working Group on Subregional Cooperation between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) on Connectivity and Transit and Water Resources Management and Power/Hydropower deliberated new initiatives for deepening cooperation. Discussion centered around progress made under the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement and the proposed BBIN Rail Agreement.

A proposed meeting of SAARC Transport Ministers in Kathmandu, Nepal aims to discuss the SAARC Motor Vehicle Agreement and SAARC Regional Railway Agreement, ahead of the 19th SAARC Summit to be held in the latter part of 2016 in Pakistan. The proposed regional transit agreements aim to promote transport connectivity in the region, and to enhance regional economic cooperation and integration.

Indian Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha led a two-day visit to the northeastern state of Tripura to inaugurate its trial broad gauge passenger train, and review progress of ongoing railway projects, including the Agartala-Akhaura railway project, which connects the rail networks of Bangladesh and India, and Agartala-Sabroom, a future connecting point for Chittagong port in Bangladesh.

A potential Asian Development Bank loan of $625 million will boost the planned $840 million Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC). VCIC will form part of India’s proposed East Coast Economic Corridor, with 4 industrial nodes expected to double industrial output and improve productivity in Andhra Pradesh by 30% over the next 2 decades.

Strengthening of regional cooperation and integration (RCI) remains a priority of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), according to its Bangladesh Country Operations Business Plan for 2016–2018. In the energy sector, ADB will continue to expand access to and make Bangladesh's power supply more reliable. In the transport sector, ADB will further promote safe, reliable, and fully integrated transport systems that move people and goods more efficiently within the country and across the region.

A friendship bus service between India and Nepal was re-launched on 4 January 2016, after a gap of 27 years. No special documents are necessary to travel in these buses. Locals with family and trade ties in both countries, who regularly travel this route on a daily basis met the news with much enthusiasm.

Chittagong Seaport attained its 2016 target of handling 2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of containers one year early. This announcement was made by the Chittagong Port Authority on 3 January 2015 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan as chief guest. According to Minister Khan, Chittagong Port's container holding capacity increased to 40,000 TEU, owing to a rise in container handling demand, which grew by 700,000 TEU in the last 3 years.

A total of 69 bridges will be built by the Government of India along a major road link of the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway in Myanmar. These bridges will be part of the route for a proposed bus service linking Imphal, capital of the Indian state of Manipur, with Mandalay City in Myanmar. The project is estimated to cost around $56 million, and is due for completion in mid-2019.

The Government of India has released the first tranche of funding worth around $299,000 to construct a new waterway link between its northeast region and Bangladesh. With total allocation of $1.87 million, the project will link the Gomati and Howrah rivers in Tripura with the Meghna river in Bangladesh, to boost bilateral trade and the movement of people.

South Asia is set to play a strategic role in Asian integration. This commentary by Mr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, Advisor in the Asian Development Bank’s Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, shares how linking emerging South Asia with the more developed member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations will transform regional economies through development of regional connectivity, and create a huge regional market of 2-3 billion people.

The Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Friendship Motor Rally which began on 14 November 2015 in India's Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, concluded on 2 December 2015 in Kolkata, West Bengal. The 19-day 4,500-kilometer car rally was held to promote the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) and strengthen ties in the BBIN subregion. According to Road Transport and Highways Secretary Vijay Chhibber, the BBIN MVA will drive growth in the right direction for all four participating countries.

A 2-day meeting between Bangladesh and Bhutan headed by Commerce Secretaries discussed several bilateral concerns, including increasing products on the duty-free import/export list of both countries, potential hydropower imports from Bhutan to Bangladesh, Customs cooperation, and road and water transport agreement.

A seminar organized by Kalinga Motor Sports, with support from the Governments of Bangladesh, Bhutan, and India and funding from the Asian Development Bank, discussed the importance of the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement for regional connectivity and the recent decision of the Parliament of Bhutan to defer its endorsement. The Ambassadors of Bangladesh and India spoke on the occasion, calling on Bhutan's Parliament to endorse and ratify the agreement.

Bangladesh's development partner representatives participated in deliberations held at the Bangladesh Development Forum 2015, which shared the country’s needs for infrastructure development. Recommendations to help facilitate growth include good regional connectivity, quality infrastructure development, and increasing participation from the private sector.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry organized the Second North East Regional Connectivity Summit to review progress made since its first Summit held in 2014, and discuss a way forward for the region's development, to maximize its proximity to South and Southeast Asia. The Summit also launched the knowledge paper 'Emerging North-East India: Economically and Socially Inclusive Development Strategies.'

The first annual bilateral consultation between the Government of Bhutan and the Government of Sri Lanka, held on 16 November 2015 in Colombo, discussed cooperation in regional and multilateral forums, and air connectivity. Membership of regional organizations and frameworks, including SAARC and BIMSTEC, was emphasized by the two countries as one way to strengthen links and enhance trade and economic cooperation.

Bangladesh and India signed the Standard Operating Procedure to operationalize the 'Agreement on Coastal Shipping' formalized in June 2015. This Agreement will provide huge savings in logistics costs for cargo transport between the two countries, improving bilateral trade. The two parties have also agreed to sign an agreement on passenger and cruise vessels.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) Vice President Wencai Zhang pledged ADB's continuous support for Bangladesh's efforts on regional cooperation and integration in a meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He highlighted concrete results of Bangladesh's participation in regional cooperation, and discussed ADB plans to support Bangladesh's transformational infrastructure development.

A Meeting for the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement (BBIN MVA)on 3-4 December 2015 will finalize the transit fees for goods and passenger vehicles, and discuss other issues, said Bangladesh Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader. Transport of passengers and goods under the BBIN MVA will formally start in January 2016, with initial restrictions in place.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) proposed direct flight operations among capitals and commercial cities of South Asia in its 'Colombo Declaration on Tourism' presented by SAARC CCI Secretary General Muhammad Iqbal Tabish to SAARC Secretary General Arjun Thapa. The statement underscored the immediate need to improve air, sea and road links among the SAARC member states to deepen economic cooperation in South Asia.

Several initiatives to improve Bangladesh's connectivity with India's North East region are in the pipeline, to increase people-to-people contact and cross-border business. These include revamping trade infrastructures to connect border points, and expanding Bangladesh's diplomatic and consular presence in India's North East region.

Trial runs to test the effectiveness of the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Motor Vehicle Agreement and identify implementation-related issues will begin by December 2015, according to India's Union Road Transport and Highway Secretary Vijay Chibber. Protocols for the IMT MVA are currently being finalized, to be signed by early April 2016.

The Government of India flagged off the first cargo truck under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement (BBIN MVA) on 1 November 2015 for a trial run from Kolkata, West Bengal to Agartala, Tripura, passing through Dhaka, Bangladesh. The cargo vehicle traveled a distance of only around 640 kilometers, compared to its longertraditional route of 1,550 km.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lanka High Commissioner Yasoja Gunasekera discussed a possible scope of cooperation during a courtesy call paid by the High Commissioner to the Prime Minister in October. Prime Minister Hasina encouraged more Sri Lankan investments and joint ventures in Bangladesh's 22 special economic zones. Bangladesh is also considering introducing a sea route to Sri Lanka.

Regional integration between South and Southeast Asia remains relatively limited, hindered by various problems, including bottlenecks in transport infrastructure. Enhancements in road, railways, and port infrastructure, as well as new road and rail links between Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and Thailand will lower unit transport costs, reduce shipping times, and increase the quantity of goods, all of which will lead to increased trade.

A Meeting between India's Minister for External Affairs and Governors of the North East region covered key aspects of the 'Act East Policy', including transport connectivity, border trade, and regional production and value chains. The Meeting stressed the need for better connectivity of the North East to a wider region, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand, and discussed ongoing and planned cross-border connectivity projects.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay renewed their commitment to pursue the Golden Jubilee Railway line from Hasimara, India to Bhutan during the Chief Minister's call to Prime Minister Tobgay on 5 October 2015. Both sides agreed to review the railway project, and examine ways to resolve land-related issues.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee encouraged private sector delegates to explore a business corridor concept for tourism, small industries and joint venture projects at an India-Bhutan Business Conclave, held in Bhutan. Making West Bengal a gateway to the North East will open up further business opportunities for Bhutan.

The Asian Development Bank has approved additional financing for a SASEC transport project that supports preparation of high-priority railway and road projects in Bangladesh along the Trans-Asian Railway and the Asian Highway network. These transport projects will enhance cross-border traffic, expanding connectivity in the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal subregion and forming links between South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has extended an invitation for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Sri Lanka in May or June 2016 to sign an agreement on economic and technological cooperation. The two Prime Ministers held discussions on enhancing economic ties between India and Sri Lanka and resuming ferry services during Prime Minister Wickremesinghe's visit to New Delhi, India on 14-16 September 2015.

The technical committees of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) wrapped up a two-day meeting for the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) protocol negotiations on 9 September 2015. The Meeting initiated negotiations, reaching agreement on guidelines on cross-border movement of passenger and cargo vehicles.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Bangladesh is hosting a two-day Secretary-level meeting of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) to discuss the protocols of the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA). Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division, MoRTB, said Bangladesh will allow cross-border cargo transport on roads connected to functional land ports.

The Myawaddy-Thin Gan Nyi Naung-Kawkareik section of the Asian Highway linking India, Myanmar, and Thailand (IMT) has become operational, reducing travel time between Thin Gan Nyi Naung and Kawkareik from 3 hours to 45 minutes. This section was constructed beginning 2012 with the assistance of Thailand, and is part of the Greater Mekong Subregion Program.

Read a commentary on the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) as positive development for the BBIN subregional grouping. The BBIN MVA is a landmark framework agreement that aims to facilitate seamless flow of passenger, personal and cargo vehicular traffic between and among the BBIN countries.

A Cabinet Committee Meeting on Public Purchase of the Government of Bangladesh approved four proposals for ongoing infrastructure projects, including contract awarding upgrade of a 70-kilometer long section of the Dhaka-Northwest corridor from two to four lanes. This road enhancement is being financed under the Bangladesh SASEC Road Connectivity Project.

The newly-constructed Koshi Bridge, inaugurated by Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on 3 August 2015, improves road connectivity and restores economic activities in the eastern region of Nepal. The bridge provides an alternate route and improves mobility, creating new opportunities for growth. It was constructed with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

The Bangladesh Government will take steps to widen the Dhaka-Sylhet highway to four lanes to facilitate the flow of traffic, following completion of a feasibility study and detailed design of this national highway. The study was conducted by the Road and Highways Department, Bangladesh, with funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) technical assistance.

The India-Nepal Cross Border Transport Facilitation Joint Working Group under the bilateral Motor Vehicle Agreement discussed measures to facilitate movement of passenger vehicles across the India-Nepal border. Key recommendations include a web-based solution to issue, monitor, and verify permits, and four new bus routes between India and Nepal.

The Asian Highway -- and part of the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway -- will connect Moreh in India to Mae Sot in Thailand, via Mandalay and Yangon in Myanmar. The road will be linked further to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The IMT Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) will help seamless movement of cargo and passenger across borders, including private vehicles.

Construction to improve Pasakha Access Road in Phuentsholing, Bhutan will start in September, said officials from Bhutan's Department of Roads, Ministry of Works and Human Settlement. This road section—a key output of the SASEC Road Connectivity Project in Bhutan—will access a bypass road from Bibarey near Manglabarey, providing trucks and other vehicles an alternate route to industrial sites in Pasakha. Once constructed, it is expected to decongest traffic in Bhutan's Phuentsholing and India

The full $200 million grant pledged by India to Bangladesh for construction of Padma Bridge under a $1 billion loan agreement has been disbursed. A recent meeting between India and Bangladesh also discussed implementation of a $2 billion loan agreement signed during India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in June 2015.

The Government of India has cleared utilization of India's capital contribution to the SAARC Development Fund (SDF) for its Infrastructure and Economic Windows, to address infrastructure bottlenecks and promote growth in the SAARC region. This approval will help boost projects that will increase intra-SAARC trade and maximize the region's growth potential.

The Government of Nepal unveiled a number of infrastructure projects for transport and energy in its budget for fiscal year 2015-2016 to further boost the country's economic growth. Planned road projects include development of six-lane trade roads and an alternate link road to Kathmandu. The Government is also prioritizing development of airports.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is considering a proposal to establish a rail bridge linking Rameswaram, a coastal pilgrim center in Tamil Nadu and Thalaimannar, Sri Lanka. The two countries would be linked if the project materializes.

With the recent approval of the regional transit deal among four nations – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal – traffic volume will take a further upturn. The Government of Bangladesh plans to build a ‘Dhaka Bypass’ at about US$30.87 million under a public-private partnership initiative to improve traffic congestion in the overcrowded city.

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal formed a subregional grouping under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Framework, and signed a Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) allowing seamless transit across each other's territories at the Meeting of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal Transport Ministers on Regional Road Transport Connectivity. Several commentaries from across the region have been published on the BBIN MVA, and are shared below.

The construction of a sea-bridge and an underwater tunnel linking the 23 kilometer stretch between Talaimannar, Sri Lanka and Dhanushkodi, India is under discussion, according to India’s Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari. The sea bridge would help expand the trans-South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation road and transport network.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) plans to provide about US$6 billion for projects in Bangladesh, including regional connectivity road transport and railway networks. ADB – through its country partnership program 2016-2018 – is committed to supporting regional connectivity in South Asia that boosts trade and commerce.

Asian Development Bank Vice President Wencai Zhang reaffirmed ADB’s continuous commitment to Bhutan highway projects and the development of the country's wider road sector in discussions with Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and Finance Minister and ADB Governor Namgay Dorji focusing on current and future ADB operations in Bhutan during his visit to Thimphu on 15 June. Improvements in Bhutan's infrastructure will help improve and diversify the economy.

The Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) transport ministers met in Thimphu, Bhutan on 15 June 2015 to endorse and sign the Motor Vehicles Agreement for the Regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN MVA). The BBIN MVA facilitates land transport arrangements among the four countries.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to further enhance transport connectivity within Bangladesh, and between Bangladesh and India, through the SASEC Railway Connectivity: Akhaura-Laksam Double Track Project. This $505 million ADB project will upgrade critical sections of Bangladesh Railway's Dhaka-Chittagong corridor and boost its market share in freight services.

Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay remarked on the strong commitment shown by the transport ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal in facilitating transport and increasing regional integration between the four countries, during a meeting held on the sidelines of the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Transport Ministers Meeting on Regional Road Connectivity in Thimphu, Bhutan. The Prime Minister said the signed Motor Vehicles Agreement sends a strong message to SAARC and addresse

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Agreement on Coastal Shipping between India and Bangladesh to carry out coastal movement of goods between the two countries. Bangladesh is currently India’s largest trade partner in South Asia and the coastal route is expected to provide an alternative route for transportation of import-export cargo between the two countries.

The State Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Asian Development Bank reviewed the inception report for the Regional Perspective Plan of the Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC), India’s first coastal corridor on 29 May in Hyderabad, India. Industrial analysis, infrastructure development and business regulatory reform proposals were presented.

The time is ripe to enhance economic integration between South Asia and Southeast Asia according to a joint study by the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank Institute. While cross-subregional trade has increased from $4 billion to $90 billion over a 23-year period, bottlenecks in infrastructure, financial markets, trade facilitation, trade barriers and regional cooperation continue to limit further improvement of economic ties.

In a move toward subregional cooperation, transport ministers of four South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal – will meet in Thimphu, Bhutan on 15 June 2015 to sign the Motor Vehicles Agreement. This will allow seamless movement of vehicles through their borders, similar to European Union countries.

A month after India pledged another Line of Credit to Bangladesh, the Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance of the Government of Bangladesh prepared 11 development project proposals on various sectors including transport, education, information technology, and energy. The total cost of the proposed projects is estimated at $2.71 billion.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave the directive to go ahead with the construction of the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to handle growing passenger capacity and strengthen connectivity in the international arena. PM Hasina views Bangladesh as an important hub – a bridge between East and West.

At the seminar on ‘Bangladesh-India Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade: Challenges and Opportunities’, held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 13 May 2015, policy and economic experts urged the two governments to remove navigation problems, reform customs procedures, develop ports, address lack of infrastructure facilities, and resolve policy constraints to tap into the potential of inland water transit.

More than 170 tons of relief goods was sent by India to Nepal using the rail route from Old Delhi to Raxaul, in response to the earthquake in Nepal. Senior officials of India's National Disaster Management Authority supervised this relief effort. India's West Bengal Government also gave assistance by coordinating needed relief items with the Government of Nepal and the Nepal Army.

A coastal shipping agreement between Bangladesh and India was ratified on 21 April 2015 in New Delhi. Bangladesh Shipping Secretary Shafiq Alam Mehedi and Indian Shipping Secretary Rajib Kumar ratified the deal to facilitate trade and transportation of goods through water routes between the two countries.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, accompanied by several Cabinet Ministers, engaged in bilateral talks with the visiting Prime Minister and Bhutanese delegation. Both countries pledged to enhance bilateral cooperation and establish air links between Paro and Colombo.

ADB and the Government of India signed a $300 million loan agreement on 26 March 2014 to improve road connectivity and increase domestic and regional trade along the North Bengal-Northeastern Region international trade corridor. This loan is the first under a $500 million multitranche South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Road Connectivity Investment Program (SRCIP) approved by ADB in 2014.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI) plans to form subregional blocs that will address common economic issues of its member countries to increase intra-regional trade.  This was proposed under the SAARC CCI Action Plan for 2015, tabled during a joint session of SAARC CCI's 62nd Executive Committee and 20th General Assembly in New Delhi, India on 10 March 2015.

Works to improve road connectivity and facilitate trade between Bhutan and India are set to begin soon along the Phuentsholing-Jaigaon border. An Asian Development Bank-financed project under the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program will construct a bypass road from Jaigaon, India to Pasakha in Bhutan and include a mini-dry port in Phuentsholing. A land customs station will also be constructed in Pasakha to monitor the bypass road.

The Railway Sector Investment Program, approved by the Asian Development Bank on October 2006 as a multitranche financing facility with total cost of $537.5 million, is approaching completion within 2015. The project contributes to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction in Bangladesh by improving the country's railway network.

An agreement that will enable seamless transit of  passenger and goods along designated key routes in the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) subregion is in the pipeline. It will reduce costly and time-consuming unloading and loading of people and cargo at border crossing points. The agreement would help transform transport corridors linking BBIN into economic corridors and enhance people-to-people contact.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Takehiko Nakao called on Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on 3 February 2015 during a visit to Nepal, and met with Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat and National Planning Commission Vice Chairperson Govinda Pokharel. ADB plans to provide about $1 billion in concessional loans and about $13 million in technical assistance grants to Nepal over the next three years to support faster and more inclusive growth in the country.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) recognized exemplary project implementation of five best-performing projects on 18 January 2015, naming the Subregional Transport Enhancement Project (STEP), a South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) project in Nepal, Best in Safeguard Monitoring.

Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed and India Minister for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman jointly inaugurated the first border market (“haat”) along the Tripura-Bangladesh frontier on 13 January 2015. Both ministers spoke optimistically about new opportunities for trade during the inauguration ceremony.

Bhutanese trucks carrying import/export cargo are now able to enter Bangladesh via India, according to Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed during a visit to Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on 7 December 2014. The new agreement will allow trucks to carry products directly from Bangladesh for import to Bhutan.

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries are currently working on six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) that will link South Asia by rail, road, air and sea, to stimulate greater trade within the region.  This includes the SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement and SAARC Regional Railways Agreement.

Direct flights between Nepal and Sri Lanka—through capital cities Kathmandu and Colombo—are scheduled to resume in early 2015. This move is expected to boost connectivity, further increasing trade and tourism between the two countries.

The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program has released a mobile app now available for download. This free app is your one-stop shop for the latest information on SASEC Program projects, news, events, and other knowledge products.

Integrating sustainable development into the Asia-Pacific region's transport sector was a key focus of the Fourth Session of the Transport Committee organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). The event, held on 15-17 October 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand, was attended by over 120 participants from 34 countries, and discussed key aspects of transport policy and initiatives promoted by ESCAP.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa marked the completion of the 38 km long Pallai-Jaffna railway line under the Indian credit line of $800 million last 13 October 2014. The reconstruction of this Northern Railway line by IRCON International Ltd, a public sector enterprise under the Government of India, links Sri Lanka’s conflict-ridden Northern Province to Colombo.

A draft Regional Cooperation Framework for Facilitation of International Railway Transport was discussed at a regional meeting organized by the Transport Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) on 13-15 October 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Government of Nepal has requested financing from the Government of India for construction of bridges across the Terai as part of the second phase of a road project linking the East-West Highway to several border points. Around 62 bridges are required for the project.

In the largest gathering of transport officials and industry and sector professionals in Asia and the Pacific, the Asian Development Bank’s bi-annual Transport Forum 2014 discussed project updates, transport policies, and best practices, including new innovations in sustainable transport. Panel discussants on cross-border transport in Asia featured customs as the biggest challenge in regional growth transport.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Secretariat headquarters was formally opened on 13 September 2014 in Dhaka, Bangladesh with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leading the inaugural ceremonies.

A single permit system facilitating easy movement of goods and people through road transport within the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region may soon be a possibility, as SAARC member states consider this proposal during a meeting of SAARC officials in Rajasthan, India.

Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay visited the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 5 September 2014 to thank the organization for contributing to Bhutan’s development throughout its 30-year partnership. He spoke to the Board of Directors, ADB staff, and the Bhutanese community as part of ADB’s Eminent Speaker Forum, “Bhutan’s Economic Vision: Prosperity for All” and launched the book, “20th by 2020: Bhutan Drive for Improved Governance”.

In follow-up to the limited pilot run of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific's Secure Cross-border Transport Model, officials from India and Bhutan Customs administrations participated in trial runs of 80 vehicles along the Kolkata-Jaigon-Phuentsholing transit corridor between Bhutan and India on 1—5 September 2014.

Following a meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of an India-Bangladesh business conclave on 24 August 2014, Tripura Industries and Commerce Minister Tapan Chakraborty said that Bangladesh will allow neighboring countries to use Ashuganj and Chittagong sea ports for multi-modal transport. This move is expected to further enhance economic integration among South Asian countries.

Bangladesh Finance Minister Mr. Abul Maal Abdul Muhith told reporters that good relations between Bangladesh and India are beneficial to both countries. Prior to the press interview, Finance Minister Muhith met with visiting Asian Development Bank Vice President Mr. Bindu Lohani to discuss further enhancing connectivity between Bangladesh and India.

Economic dynamism in the Asia-Pacific region has been driven primarily by individual economies, yet to ensure sustainable growth in the future, countries must integrate and cooperate to share prosperity, according to the 2014edition of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a two-day visit to Kathmandu, Nepal on 3-4 August 2014, the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 17 years. At a speech delivered to the Parliament of Nepal, Modi announced India’s desire to help Nepal and offered an additional soft loan of US $1 billion for energy projects and infrastructure development.

The Asian Development Bank approved just over $50 million for Bhutan’s South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Road Connectivity Project on 31 July 2014. The project will increase Bhutan's trade competitiveness by improving cross-border movement of people, goods, and business through construction and upgrading of the national highway network, and creating essential trade and trade facilitation infrastructure.

China initially opened the railway to Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, in 2006 as part of its national plan to boost development. The railway is envisioned to be linked to Rasuwagadhi, Nepal through the Shigatse-Kerung stretch. Rasuwagadhi is about 500 kilometers from Shigatse. There are plans to extend the railway linking Tibet with the rest of the country during 2016-2020 to two separate points on the border of Nepal and on the border of India and Bhutan.

A coastal shipping arrangement between Bangladesh and India will soon facilitate faster shipment of goods between the two countries, and enable better access to India's northeastern regions. It is also expected to give bilateral trade a boost. Trials runs in Chittagong port and Kolkata port are scheduled to begin by October 14.

Bangladesh's Chittagong Port recorded a rise of 10.46% in container handling during fiscal year 2013-2014. This statistic counts as Chittagong Port's biggest growth in terms of cargo handled. ADB approved the Chittagong Port Trade Facilitation Project in October 2004 to increase the capacity of its container terminal.

As part of India’s SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program, India and Nepal have set up a Joint Technical Task Force for the Mechi River Crossing. The first meeting was held in New Delhi on 4 July 2014 at the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway, Government of India.

The Asian Development Bank-financed Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway Public-Private Partnership Design Project will assist the Government of Bangladesh to prepare detailed engineering design documents of the existing two-lane Dhaka-Chittagong highway that will be developed into a six-lane freeway. It will provide badly-needed additional road capacity. Several firms were chosen in the joint venture that is expected complete the project in 2023.

Over 100 participants gathered to discuss green freight and logistics at a regional training workshop organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The workshop took stock of best practices and systematic approaches toward efficient logistics and green freight, and provided a platform to explore multiple initiatives currently being developed in Asia.

The Royal Kingdom of Bhutan and India are moving to more sophisticated technologies in an effort to increase trade efficiencies between the two countries. In May 2014, government officials from Bhutan and India agreed to embark on a feasibility study that will pilot UNESCAP's Secure Cross-Border Transport Model (SCBTM) along key trade corridors, aimed at speeding up and reducing the cost of trade through designated land routes and border-crossing points.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a multitranche financing facility of $500 million for the SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program (SRCIP) in March 2014, which aims to increase domestic and regional trade through North Bengal and Northeastern Region (NB-NER) of India. The overall investment program will rehabilitate and upgrade about 500 kilometers (km) of regional connectivity roads, including both national highways and state roads.

South Asia’s tremendous growth is leading to large infrastructure gaps that need to be addressed. According to a new report, “Reducing Poverty by Closing South Asia’s Infrastructure”, closing the gap of South Asia’s development goals and its capability to attain these goals needs a $2.5 trillion investment over the next decade.

The Asian Development Outlook, ADB’s flagship economic publication provides comprehensive macroeconomic analysis in Asia including growth projections by country and region. The Asian Development Outlook 2014 forecasts that developing Asia will grow 6.2% in 2014 and 6.4% in 2015.

BIMSTEC senior officials visited the Myawaddy-Kawkareik Road Project in Myanmar on 20 March 2014, at the southeastern end of the Trilateral Highway connecting India, Myanmar and Thailand. The $38 million Government of Thailand-financed project is upgrading and constructing 45.5 kilometers of national highway, and rehabilitating the Myanmar-Thailand Friendship Bridge.

The Third Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit of Leaders and related events was held on 1-4 March 2014 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Member States – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Sri Lanka – strengthened their resolve to jointly promote rapid economic development, and accelerate social progress in the sub-region.

On 17 February 2014, the Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $125 million loan for the second tranche of the ADB-financed North Eastern States Road Investment Program, approved in 2013. Reconstruction and rehabilitation of more than 236 kilometers (km) of state roads in Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura will contribute to increased transport efficiency in the project area, as well as better mobility and accessibility in the wider North Eastern region of India.

Aligned with South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC), the Government of Bangladesh will implement a Tk 27.88 billion ($358. 59 million) project to upgrade the Jaidevpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga highway which forms part of Asian Highway-2, Asian Hghway-41, and SAARC Highway Corridor-4 to facilitate road connectivity with neighboring countries.

Trade facilitation and transport officials of SASEC countries reviewed planned priority sub-regional projects totaling over $4 billion over the next three years.

The Nodal Officials of the SASEC Program met at the sidelines of the 45th ADB Annual Meeting in Manila on 3 May 2012.

About 160 officials from 30 countries participated in the ADB conference on RCI held on 26-27 March in the PRC.

Following the SASEC Trade Facilitation and Transport Working Group (TFTW) Meeting in Bangkok in October 2011 the TFTWG met again in Kolkata on 5 March 2012 and agreed on a list of investment and technical assistance projects.

Road transport is the primary mode of land transportation in Bangladesh responsible for 70% of passengers and 60% of freight.