India's landlocked north-east region, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan can benefit from effective regional connectivity through roads, railway and ports, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bernicat said today.
"Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and India and more particularly the land locked north-east can be immensely benefited if the potential could be made by making roads and railways, upgrading and interlinking the ports in the region," Bernicat told reporters here.
She was speaking on the sidelines of a conference on Indo-Asia Connectivity for Shared Prosperity, organised by US Consulate, Kolkata in collaboration with CUTS International, an NGO.
She said, interlinking of Chittagong and Mongla river port of Bangladesh with Haldia port in West Bengal can facilitate seamless movements of goods and people and trade between India, Bangladesh and Nepal and Bhutan.
"Nepal wants access to Mongla port for maritime connectivity with Bangladesh. Prime Minister of Bangladesh has taken the initiative to develop a deep sea port on the east of Mongla, improve Chittagong port and connecting the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) region through roads and railways.
"My observation is that it is a good initiative and will yield good results," she said.
She praised India saying it was playing a good neighbourly relation with the BBIN region.
"During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's last visit to Dhaka, he said India's real well-being depends on the well-being of the neighbours. What can be better attitude than this," she said.
When asked if terrorism was posing a major threat to the people in these countries, she said, "Terrorism is a major challenge to all countries. Cyber crime is also another major threat. Cooperation between the affected countries and sharing of information can help.
So, better connectivity and better trade between the countries in the region can help up to some extent to combat terrorism".
US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma had said yesterday, "Nowhere are the challenges and potential for connectivity more real than in north-east India, a region that is home to some 45 million people and more than 200 tribes, and, more importantly, one of Asia's most strategic crossroads; bordering Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, and Nepal".
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