BANGLADESH TO CONNECT TO ASIAN HIGHWAY NETWORK

By Shafiqul Bashar

DHAKA, May 23 (Bernama) -- Bangladesh has decided to connect the country to
the Asian Highway Network (AHN), accepting the routes proposed by the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-Escap).

"We have decided to connect Bangladesh to the Asian Highway Network for the
welfare of the country," Communication Minister Syed Abul Hossain told newsmen
after an official meeting in the capital.

He said connection to the AHN would help improve Bangladesh's communication
and trade with Asian countries. "It would also boost our tourism industry", he
added.

Syed Abul said the government's decision would be conveyed to the UN-Escap
so that Bangladesh could be connected by signing the agreement as per the routes
proposed by the UN body.

The UN-Escap drafted an intergovernmental agreement on the AHN for the
development of Asian highways, which include three routes in Bangladesh.

The AHN, a proposed network of 141,000km of standard roadways criss-crossing
Asian countries and linking them with Europe, was conceived in 1959 with an aim
to promote development of international road transport in the continent.

The Asian Highway, also known as the Great Asian Highway, is a cooperative
project among countries in Asia and Europe and the UN-Escap for improving
highway systems in Asia.

It is one of the three pillars of the Asian Land Transport Infrastructure
Development (ALTID) project endorsed by the Escap at its 48th session in 1992.
The ALTID comprises the Asian Highway, Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) and
facilitation of land transport projects.

Agreements have so far been signed by 32 countries to allow the highway to
cross the continent and reach Europe. The project is scheduled for completion in
2010.
-- BERNAMA