Dhaka: Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan on Monday signed a framework agreement which will allow the movement of personal, passenger and cargo vehicles through roadways among the four countries, aiming to boost road connectivity in the region.

The agreement titled, Motor Vehicles Agreement, was signed in Thimpu, Bhutan at a meeting of Transport Ministers of the four SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries, said senior information officer of Road Transport and Bridges Ministry Abu Naser.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader signed the agreement on behalf of Bangladesh.

The Cabinet on 08 June approved the draft of the Motor Vehicles Agreement.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said another protocol will have to be signed before the agreement comes into effect after the signing of this framework agreement.

He said since all the four countries have agreed to strike this deal, the signing of the related protocol would not take that much time.

The Cabinet Secretary also said for vehicular movement among the four countries valid travel documents would be required alongside fees which would be determined by that travelling country.

In that case, he said, if a vehicle travels from Nepal to Bangladesh over India, then fees would have to be provided to both Indian and Bangladesh point for further movement.

The Cabinet Secretary said the initiative was there to sign the agreement during the last Saarc Summit held in Kathmandu last year, but that could not be signed since one country could not complete the internal process.

Musharraf Hossain said the draft agreement has kept a scope for the inclusion of any country subject to the consent of these four countries.

Besides, under the agreement, the vehicles concerned would need to take permits, no vehicle could take passenger and carry goods midway in any country, the authorized officials of the traveling country could search the vehicles, the vehicles would have to have insurances, abide by the prohibited and restricted list of the traveling country.

The Cabinet Secretary said the relevant countries could review the agreement after every three years or before, even could withdraw from the agreement giving a six months’ notice.