From BBIN rally: The Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) rally has flagged off from Silchar town of Cachar district in Assam on Friday morning.

It will cross 290 kilometers to reach Agartala, the capital as well as the largest city of the Indian state of Tripura.

Cachar deputy commissioner flagged off the rally at Satindra Mohon Deb Stadium of Silchar in the morning.

Estimated time to cross the distance is eight hours. But it was uncertain to reach destination within estimated time.

Earlier, the rally needed 16 hour, doubled of estimated time, to cross 344 kilometers on Thursday, for dilapidated conditions of roads.

Organizers said today’s journey might be harder than the previous day.

Leaders of delegations from four participating countries said the road is in poor shape for vehicle plying. 

During the time, president of Kalinga Motors, Praveen Chandra Bhanjdeo, who is also the MLA of Odisha, said Silchar to Agartala route might be a death well.

Bangladesh home ministry’s deputy secretary Nirod Chandra Mandol said this route is not fit for plying of vehicle coming from Bangladesh. Good-laden vehicles from Chittagong port will not able to ply though Agartala to Jaintapur route. It is very risky route.

The BBIN friendship rally will enter Bangladesh through Bilonia border of Feni on Saturday (November 28) after crossing Agartala of India on November 27.

The rally will stay in Chittagong on November 28 and will start for Dhaka in the morning of November 29. On November 30 a seminar on BBIN will be held at Hotel Sonargaon.

On behalf of Bangladesh government, a group of six members has joined the motor rally under the leadership of Nirodh Chandra Mandal.

The other members of the delegation include second secretary of National Board of Revenue (NBR) Shahidul Islam, Roads and Highways Department deputy director Maqsudur Rahman, director (Port and Customs) Syed M Bathtiar, Shyamoli Paribahan manager Nayon Kumar Ray and Banglanews24.com senior correspondent Mazadul Haque.

On December 1, the car rally will start for Kolkata through Benapole and the curtain on the friendship rally will down there through holding a seminar.

The BBIN MVA was signed at Thimphu on June 15 this year with the aim of extending road network among these countries.

A meeting was held in Dhaka on September 8-9 for finalizing the proposed protocol as part of implementing the BBIN MVA.

There was a unanimous decision regarding the trial run of passenger vehicles and goods laden vehicles, holding a friendship car rally and the possible routes.

BDST: 1345 HRS, NOV 27, 2015
RS