Dhaka: The cabinet on Monday approved the draft of a framework agreement for motor vehicle movement in four South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal—to improve connectivity among the countries.

The approval of the draft, finalized earlier at transport secretary level meeting of the four countries in Kolkata and Chennai, was given at the weekly meeting of the cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, cabinet secretary Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said a draft alike this was supposed to be signed in the last SAARC Summit in Kathmandu. But due to unpreparedness of a country the agreement was not signed.

Now the agreement namely ‘Motor Vehicles Agreement for Regulation of Passengers, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN)’ is likely to be signed at the meeting of the transport ministers slated for 15 June next in Bhutan, he said.

The agreement will have provision of including any other country subject to no-objection from any of the four countries. The agreement will be renewed in every three years or before and any country, if wishes, can withdraw name by giving six months time.

The cabinet secretary said the agreement would come to effect after approval of the necessary protocol on execution of the agreement. ‘As all countries agreed, so much time will not be needed for finalizing the protocol,’ he said.

The cabinet adopted a resolution giving thanks and congratulations to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her inherent role in making possible a very successful visit of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh on 6-7 June, 2015.

‘Such a successful visit of the Indian Prime Minister could have been possible due to Sheikh Hasina’s far-sightedness, wisdom, eagerness, leadership, positive attitude and steadfast commitment to bilateral relation and regional cooperation,’ the resolution said.

The cabinet has sent back a draft proposal of the Road Transport and Highways Division of the Transport Ministry on Land Management Policy and asked the officials concerned to make a coordinated policy applicable for all ministries for use of their roadside lands.

On a proposal for ratification of the ‘Protocol Amending the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO)’, the cabinet asked the Commerce Ministry to put up the proposal in the cabinet next time with a report on progress of fulfilling the expectation of Bangladesh from the WTO.

The cabinet also has given final approval to Navy (Amendment) Act 2015 subject to vetting of the law ministry.