http://www.newstoday-bd.com/frontpage.asp?newsdate=3/30/2004#4172
Bangladesh is unlikely to be connected with the Asian Highway Network
because of the unwillingness of the BNP-led alliance government to sign
an inter-governmental agreement for the implementation of the network.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific
(UNESCAP) repeatedly requested the government to sign the agreement.
The inter-governmental agreement of the much-talked-about Asian Highway
Network will be signed with the Asian Highway members after the ESCAP
board meeting, to be held in the Chinese city of Shanghai in the last
week of April this year.
However, a Bangladeshi delegation led by Planning and Finance Minister M
Saifur Rahman is scheduled to attend the ESCAP board meeting.
Bangladesh is not interested to go for signing the agreement, as the
proposed road map for the Asian Highway Network for Central and North
Asia, South and West Asia and South-east Asia includes two options for
Bangladesh, said a high official of the Ministry of Communication.
It is learnt that the government is hesitating to take the crucial
decision for signing such agreement after the ESCAP board meeting, as
one of the two options for connecting Bangladesh with the Asian Highway
is not suitable for the country.
Under the proposed option, as part of the Asian Highway, a road-link
would be established between Bangladesh and Myanmar through the
turmoil-hit Indian Seven-Sister region.
The ESCAP road map also includes the proposed road-link between
Bangladesh and Myanmar to connect the Asian Highway through India,
Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Earlier in July 2003, Transport and Tourism division of ESCAP requested
the government to assist ESCAP in implementing the huge project
primarily by proposing a focal point and providing basic policies and
plans for the major highway projects undertaken by the government of
Bangladesh.
With financial assistance of the Japan government, Transport and Tourism
Division of ESCAP undertook the Asian Highway Network as part of its
overall development of the Asian Highway and other inter-related
connections.
The Asian Highway project was initiated in 1959 with an aim to promote
development of international road transport in the region. During the
first phase of the project (1960-1970), progress was achieved. However,
the progress slowed down when financial assistance was suspended in
1975.
Later, as a result of studies conducted by ESCAP in cooperation with the
Asian Highway members, the project was revised to undertake a new Asian
Highway Network of approximately 90,000 km in 28 member countries.
Asian Highway road classifications and design standards were also
revised and international boarder crossing facilitation measures were
introduced.
A study on the road network connecting China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the
Russian Federation and the Korean peninsula was carried out to identify
the Asian Highway connecting Northeast Asia with Central Asia, the
Caucasus and Europe.
About 40,000 kilometers of road network was identified and proposed for
inclusion in the highway network.
Recently, Asian Highway routes have been identified in Bhutan and
Georgia and thus the Asian Highway Network development has been extended
to 31 member countries through a route network of 130,000 kilometers.
Work has been initiated for formalisation of the Asian Highway network
and for signing the inter-governmental agreement on Asian Highway
network, which will determine the routes and define the design standards
and establish a coordination mechanism for the development of the Asian
Highway Network.