First Bangladeshi vehicle with commercial goods to reach India today

The first Bangladeshi vehicle carrying commercial goods will reach India today under a four-nation deal for improved regulation of passenger and cargo traffic.

 Fitted with a global positioning system to track its movement, the vehicle which entered India through a land border will reach the inland container depot at Patparganj in the eastern part of Delhi.

“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 the depot.

The vehicle entered India in late August 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 Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement was signed in June last year, Azaad said.

The agreement allows vehicles to enter each other's territory and does away with time-consuming transshipment of goods from one country's truck to another at the border.

A function will be held at the depot in Patparjanj today to formally receive the vehicle and customs clearance, according to an official statement.

The Indian 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,” Azaad said.