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Roadmap holds out hopes

Rejaul Karim Byron
Bangladesh and India yesterday signed a framework agreement on bilateral cooperation for an indefinite period, where commitment is made for future cooperation in various fields including trade, connectivity, and water resources.
The treaty was signed by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh just after their summit meeting in the afternoon.
The agreement came into effect right after its signing and will remain effective until terminated by mutual consent, says the document.
After signing of the accord consisting 12 articles, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a press statement said, "Framework Agreement on Cooperation and Development - a visionary document that looks at
not only the realities today, but also the potentials of tomorrow."
A Joint Consultative Commission will be established to monitor effective and smooth implementation of the agreement, and will meet annually.
The agreement envisions optimum utilisation of opportunities for mutual benefit in a wide range of areas by laying down a framework. According to the deal, the two countries will jointly develop and finance projects.
The document says both parties will take steps to
narrow trade imbalances, progressively remove tariff and non-tariff barriers, and facilitate trade by road, rail, inland waterways, air, and shipping.
Both will encourage development of appropriate infrastructure, use of seaports, multi-modal transportation and standardization of means of transport for bilateral as well as subregional use.
About sharing common river waters, it says both countries will explore the possibilities of common basin management of common rivers. They will cooperate in flood forecasting and control, and will provide necessary assistance to each other to enhance navigability and accessibility of river routes and ports.
The two neighbours will establish arrangements for cooperation in generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, including electricity from renewable or other sources. They also agreed to use power grid connectivity to promote power exchange.
They will cooperate on security issues of concern to each other, fully respecting
each other's sovereignty, while neither party will allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the other.
Other areas of cooperation identified are promotion of scientific, educational, and cultural cooperation.
The deal also puts emphasis on people to people exchanges, cooperation in environmental protection and responding to challenges of climate change through adaptation, and management of natural disasters.
The agreement may be amended by mutual consent in order to enhance, deepen and widen its scope including regional or sub-regional expansion.
Such an accord between the two countries was conceptualised during Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in January last year.
The Joint Communique issued on that occasion noted that the two prime ministers agreed to put in place a comprehensive framework of cooperation capturing their mutually shared vision for the future.