Bangladesh ready to provide ports to Nepal for fuel import: Ambassador Shams

KATHMANDU: Bangladesh's Ambassador to NepalĀ  Mashfee Binte Shams said on Monday that Bangladesh would provide transit facility if Nepal imported petroleum products from third countries.

Stating that Bangladesh was aware about the existing fuel crisis in Nepal, the Bangladeshi diplomat said her country was ready to provide Mangla and Chittagong ports as transit to Nepal for fuel and LPG imports.

According to her, Bangladesh has officially informed Nepal about the availability of the two portsĀ and the latter has shown interest in bringing in aviation turbine fuel from Bangladesh.

Nepal is reeling under acute shortage of petroleum products and cooking gas among other daily essentials for over two month due to blockade at the Nepal-India border.

Saying Nepali cargo trucks can enter Bangladesh without any obstruction but Bangladeshi trucks are not easily allowed to come to Nepal, Ambassador Shams pointed out the need for an immediate motor vehicle agreement between the two countries.

She said Nepal can be benefited from the railway service extended up to Rohanpur, Singhabad and Radhikapur.

She further expressed her belief that the Nepali side would endorse Bangladesh's proposal to export 208 items from Nepal to Bangladesh on zero tariff.