Bhutan hopes India will allow road access for hydropower trade with Bangladesh

Bhutan is optimistic that India will permit the use of its roads for hydropower exports to Bangladesh, according to Bhutanese Ambassador Dasho Karma Hamu Darzi.

Speaking at a country dialogue on Bangladesh-Bhutan relations at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in Dhaka on Monday, the ambassador highlighted growing cooperation between the two countries.

She said that during a recent meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations conference, Bhutan’s Prime Minister and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser discussed a potential free trade agreement. “As countries affected by climate change, Dhaka and Thimphu are working toward the same goals,” he added.

Ambassador Darzi explained that India and Bangladesh, being larger countries, would use heavy vehicles for transportation. Bhutan, as a smaller nation, is not yet equipped to handle such infrastructure demands, which contributed to its decision not to sign the Bangladesh-Bhutan Infrastructure Agreement (BBIA).

She also announced that a Bangladesh-Bhutan foreign secretary-level meeting is scheduled to take place in Dhaka at the end of this year.