Dhaka calls for talks on Asian Highway

Bangladesh has requested UN agency ESCAP to start talks with member states to set up Bangladesh-India-Myanmar direct transport communications as part of the planned Asian Highway.

Dhaka also called upon ESCAP to take effective initiatives to develop direct traffic running through Saarc and neighbouring nations in south and southeast Asia.

The call came from Communications Minister Barrister Nazmul Huda as Bangladesh's representative in a two-day ministerial conference of the Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific in Seoul on Saturday.

ESCAP organised the conference on road and rail communications infrastructure development.

The South Korean President inaugurated the meet on Friday and the Executive Secretary of ESCAP gave the welcome address.

Placing the proposals at the meet, Huda said Bangladesh has taken up special programmes, including development of road infrastructure and modernisation of rail communications system, aiming at developing transport networks linking Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway.

Expressing Bangladesh's interest in setting up direct surface transport links with Myanmar through the southeastern region of the country, he focused on the advantages of the Jamuna Bridge along the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway.