The BBIN MVA can be a game changer for neighborhood cooperation. For the first time, these countries have decided to exchange their traffic rights and allow the transit of freight and passenger vehicles within and beyond international borders. The priority is to develop functional transport corridors and then transform them into economic corridors. These economic corridors are expected to play a key role in strengthening existing value chains and creating new values. B2B Cargo routes are not included in BBIN. The envelope remains the most economical mode of transit. Because most vehicles are empty. The BBIN routes are asymmetrical in favour of India, which connects the India-BD-India roads. For others, regional transit trades are insignificant and existing modes of transport remain the least expensive option…. The agreement will enter into force after being ratified by the four Member States.
The agreement was ratified by Bangladesh, India and Nepal. The lower house of the Bhutanese Parliament approved the agreement in early 2016, but was rejected by the House of Lords in November 2016. [31] Bhutan has requested that the number of vehicles entering its territory be capped. [34] In May 2017, the media reported that the Bhutanese government had ordered the Indian government to continue the agreement without Bhutan, as the Bhutanese government was unable to ratify the agreement in the House of Lords because of objections from opposition parties. [35] Opponents of the measure in Bhutan said the agreement would increase the movement of vehicles from other countries, affecting Bhutanese truck drivers and also causing environmental damage. A bilateral agreement between Bhutan and India already allows for smooth movement between the two countries. Therefore, Bhutan`s decision not to ratify BBIN MVA would only affect its trade with Nepal and Bangladesh. The Bhutanese government has asked other BBIN members to continue the agreement and has also said it will try to ratify the MVA after the country has held parliamentary elections in 2018. Due to the strained relations between Bhutan and Nepal, the Tshering Tobgay government feared that the registration of Nepalese trucks for Bhutan would anger voters. [36] India called Bhutan`s decision a “reverse” and not a “rejection” of the agreement, which states that it is natural that not all members progress at the same pace and that India will continue its engagement with Bhutan on this issue.
[37] [38] The Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) initiative is a sub-regional architecture of countries in Southeast Asia, a sub-region of South Asia. It meets through the official representation of Member States to formulate, implement and review four-party agreements in areas such as water resource management, electrical connectivity, transport and infrastructure. [1] BBIN is an ambitious initiative by four South Asian countries, bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, to facilitate the transport of vehicles, freight and passengers on the territory of the other transport, without the need to transfer goods from the truck from one country to another at the border.