UNB: Bangladesh will sign the Intergovernmental Agreement on Trans-Asian Railway Network designed to facilitate train trips through the continent and the land-linked countries beyond.

The objective of the deal is to develop transport communications in Asian and its surrounding countries, gradually connecting the European countries with the trans-border railway, which will enter Bangladesh from three directions in the west and get out through a single gateway on the eastern front.

A regular meeting of the council of advisers of the interim government with the chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, in the chair on Saturday approved a proposal for signing the agreement on international transport link.

The meeting asked the foreign ministry to take ‘necessary action’ to sign the treaty, according to chief adviser’s press secretary Syed Fahim Munaim.

The three routes passing through Bangladesh under the transport treaty are Gede (West Bengal, India) Darshana (Kushtia, Bangladesh)-Ishwardi-Jamuna Akhaura-Chittagong-Dohazari-Gundhum-Myanmar, Singabad (West Bengal)-Rajshahi (Bangladesh)-Iswardi-Jamuna Bridge-Joydevpur-Akhaura-Chittagong-Dohazari-Gundhum-Myanmar and Radhikapur (West Bengal)-Dinajpur-Ishwardi-Jamuna Bridge-Joydevpur-Akhaura-Chittagong-Dohazari-Gundhum-Myanmar.

Earlier in November 2006, a conference on Transport in South Korea, organised by the UN ESCAP, approved a proposal for striking the agreement. Eighteen countries, including China, Nepal, Iran and Indonesia, instantly signed the deal.

The deadline for signing the agreement by other interested countries was set from November 10-11, 2006 to December 2008. The countries will have to ink the accord at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The biggest venture in rail communications in human history is to take effect within 90 days of completion of the deal signing.

Also, the interim cabinet meeting discussed the option for modernising the Trademark Law that was enacted way back in 1940. Now the law is ‘not functionally acceptable in line with international guidelines,’ officials said.

A committee headed by the industries secretary was constituted to prepare the draft of the Trademark Ordinance 2007 in line with the guidelines of the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

The committee has been asked to submit the draft by June 30.

During the meeting, ways of making government pension process easier and expediting its action were also discussed so that pensioners could get their annuity ‘timely and smoothly’.

The chief adviser directed the authorities concerned to take ‘necessary action’ in this regard and urged the ministries to prepare separate lists of pensioners of the respective ministries.

Members of the council of advisers attended the meeting at the CA’s Office.

 

© The Bangladesh Journal