1st B'desh vehicle to enter India through land border arrives

New Delhi, Sep 4: The first Bangladeshi vehicle to have entered India through a land border as part of an accord for improved regulation of passenger and cargo traffic between the two countries will arrive here tomorrow.

Fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS) to track its movement, the vehicle carrying commercial goods will reach Inland Container Depot (ICD), Patparganj.

"It is a historic moment as a vehicle from Bangladesh carrying imported consignment has been allowed to come into India without changing trucks," said Vinayak Azaad, Additional Commissioner at ICD, Patparganj.

The vehicle had entered the country late last month via Petrapole border in West Bengal, he said.

There was no provision to allow trucks registered in India to enter Bangladesh and vice versa until the accord was signed last year.

Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement, which was signed in June last year, allows vehicles to enter each other's territory and does away with trans-shipment of goods from one country's truck to another at the border, a time consuming and costly process.

"This will pave the way for more efficient passage of goods between India and Bangladesh saving a significant amount of time and resources of both the countries," Azaad told PTI.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the customs have played a significant role in ensuring hassle-free entry of the vehicle into India.

"We have coordinated with the Road Ministry and state police forces to ensure hassle-free movement of the vehicle to Delhi," the official said.

PTI