The Council of Advisers at its meeting on May 5 approved a proposal for signing the inter-governmental agreement on Trans-Asian Railway Network. The objective of the deal is to develop transport communications in Asian and its surrounding countries, gradually connecting the European countries with the trans-border railway, which will enter Bangladesh from three directions in the west and get out through a single gateway on the eastern front.

The meeting asked the foreign ministry to take necessary steps to sign the treaty. The three routes passing through Bangladesh under the treaty are 1) Gede (West Bengal, India)-Darshana (Kushtia, Bangladesh)-Iswardi-Jamuna Bridge-Joydevepur-Akhaura-Chittagong-Dohazari-Gundhum-Myanmar, 2) Singabad (West Bengal)-Rajshahi (Bangladesh)-Iswardi-Jamuna Bridge-Joydevpur-Akhaura-Chittagong-Dohazari-Ghundum-Myanmar and 3) Radhikapur(West Bengal)-Dinajpur-Iswardi-Jamuna Bridge-Joydevpur-Akhaura-Chittagong-Dohazari-Gundhum-Myanmar.

Eighteen countries, including China, Nepal, Iran and Indonesia, signed the deal in South Korea in 2006. The deadline for signing the agreement by other interested countries was set from November 2006 to December 2008. The countries will have to ink the accord at the UN headquarters in New York.