| Trans Asian Railway Network deal okayed The Cabinet on Monday ratified three important proposals including Inter-governmental Agreement on the Trans Asian Railway Network aiming at establishing modern communication system between Asia and European countries. The approval was given at the regular meeting of the cabinet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair held at the Cabinet Division of Bangladesh Secretariat. The two other proposals ratified by the cabinet are; SAARC Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and Charter of the SAARC Development Fund (SDF). However, the cabinet discussed the proposal for Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) facilities and Letter of Intent signing, announced by the Indian Government. The meeting sent back the proposal and asked the authorities concerned to place it in next cabinet meeting after scrutiny. Briefing reporters, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, who was present in the meeting, said the Economic and Social Commission of the Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) had taken the Trans Asian Railway Network project in 1992. The work plan of the project was to establish communication network by constructing the Asian Highway, Trans Asian Railway as well as developing the land transport system between Asia and European countries. Under the project, there would have three Trans Asian Networks -Northern Region, Middle Region and Southern Region-and Bangladesh's is under the southern region network, said Azad. Responding to a question, the Press Secretary quoting Sheikh Hasina as saying Bangladesh Railway should be modernized. The Prime Minister said with the age-old railway network it would not be possible to make Bangladesh Railway profitable and attractive. She said the government has a plan to use modern technology in the Bangladesh Railway networks making it equivalent to the rail networks of the present-day world. Members of the council of ministers, advisers to the Prime Minister and state ministers in charge of different ministries attended the meeting.Cabinet Secretary M Abdul Aziz and concerned secretaries were present. Describing the SAARC Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, the Press secretary said, the cabinet ratified it to expand mutual legal matters among the member states to control crime under the SAARC boundaries. The government has proposed it for further review, Azad said. On April 21-22 in 2008, the draft proposal was partly signed in Colombo and on July 27 in the same year the convention was finalized. Later, SAARC member states approved the convention in SAARC conference in Colombo on August 3 last year. Referring to SDF, he said the main objective of it is to change the living standard of the people of South Asian region by increasing and ensuring economic progress and alleviating poverty from the member states. The aim of SDF is to take multilateral project through the member states that would help strengthen regional cooperation and solidarity among the people of this region and all the SAARC countries would be its members. |
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