What is this BBIN?

What is this BBIN? This is the Motor Vehicle Agreement amongst the Four Nations namely Bangladesh, Bhutan. India and Nepal, we can call it MVA of BBIN. This has all started with the intentions of bringing connectivity and trade cooperation. The major shake was caused when Indian PM Modi at the18th SAARC Submit announced that the regional integration in South Asia would go ahead through SAARC or outside, among some or all. This subsequently when denied by some member states of SAARC has narrowed down to so called BBIN consisting of four countries. 

So what is there in this Agreement? The agreement is all about allowing free movement of Passenger, Cargo and Personal Vehicles in the territories of Partner Countries, meaning All Bhutanese Vehicles can ply the roads (Agreed Route) within the territories of India, Bangladesh & Nepal and simmilarly the other member nations of the MVA shall be enjoying the same scope. Way before the MVA, we have seen many Indian Numbered Vehicles on our road and we know very well that Assam Bengal Highway has been as good as calling it our own road for connecting East and West through southern foothills. I have heard that this facility is available mainly because of the very excellent relationship between the two Countries (to be called as mutual consent). The current scenario has all its pros and cons. If we cannot build our own road, then having MVA would mean something positive but only if there are terms that dictates the protection and security. Therefore MVA would just formalise the present practice. More over it is doubtful that whether the MVA would include the present southern network of Road where our vehicles travel, as a Route  or not, since the MVA is more focussed on trade and economic progress. 

So, it is questionable how substantial our Trucks are carrying out business across the borders. We need to assess not just how huge but also who is conducting business beyond the national borders. What do we sell to Nepal through Trucks? What do we transport to India or Bangladesh? I have just heard about some boulders and white stones being transported to Bangladesh.  How is that substantial and benificial to the common public of our country? How many of us would travel to Nepal with our Cars? The economic activities particularly transportation is very huge in these other three nations compared to ours and it is needless to say we are having a kind of reciprocity agreement. The tourism aspect of the agreement shall murder our very own policy of High Volume and Low Impact Tourism. Indian Tourist with Personal Cars with a Packed Lunch and Tents has just caused environmental pollution and that is one such example of what would really be the MVA miracle. Our serene mountaineous terrains are fragile to such pollutions. West Bengal alone recorded approximately 7.5 million vehicles in 2016 and we have not more than a Hundred Thousand.

National Council in its report has mentioned that since the MVA is based on principle of reciprocity, Bhutan shall be on disadvantaged side mainly due to the assymetry of size and population compared to other three countries. Therefore we can have a mutual understanding with the Government India  and Bangladesh without being into the BBIN MVA as our economy and trade size is as not big as theirs. By being into BBIN we shall not fetch Agartala-Dhaka-Kolkata like route reduction. I am with the opinion that the BBIN is very near to OBOR of China. We should be safe enough atleast for now not to take part in it.