Bangladesh Willing to Work Closely with Nepal on Hydropower Development: Envoy

Experts suggest improving connectivity, waterways and taking India into confidence

  1 min 55 sec to read
Bangladesh Willing to Work Closely with Nepal on Hydropower Development: Envoy

March 31: Bangladesh has expressed its readiness to work closely with Nepal on hydropower development and energy trade, according to Bangladeshi Ambassador to Nepal Mashfee Binte Shams.

She made such remarks during the 3rd Nepal-Bangladesh Business Forum held recently in Kathmandu.

The ambassador highlighted that both Nepal and Bangladesh are going through social, economic and cultural transformation, hence, working together in this process will be fruitful for both the countries.

Sunil KC, founder of AIDIA – one of the co-hosts besides the Bangladesh Embassy – said that the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement signed with Bangladesh will make it easier for investors in promoting trade and commerce.            

During the forum, Former Foreign Secretary Madhu Raman Acharya started with a subtle comparison of how Bangladesh was earlier known as a basket case due to its poverty and undeveloped nature and how it has successfully become an economic role model, reads a statement issued by the organisers.

He also explained how the bilateral relation has become stagnant and not moved beyond the imagined transformation and stressed on the increasing need towards more bilateral business cooperation.

Madan Lamsal, editor-in-chief of New Business Magazine stated that “media has a very huge role to play as it is the mirror to show the shortcomings and loopholes”.

According to him, Nepal should learn from the success story of Bangladesh and stressed on the need to take India on board as moving forward without a strong trilateral relation including India will “lead us nowhere”.

Meanwhile, Madhusudan Adhikari, secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, stressed on the need for building mutual trust for enhancing bilateral transport , transit and trade.

Dr Golam Rasul, chief economist at ICIMOD, said connectivity is the key to prosperity He added that the trade volume between Nepal and Bangladesh is minimal and effective transportation infrastructure can enhance bilateral trade.

“Inland waterways connectivity between Nepal-India and Bangladesh can be a real booster from trade and commerce point of view,” he added.

The business forum was held on Thursday, March 28.

 

No comments yet. Be the first one to comment.