Bangladesh will restart negotiations over a long-standing proposal for a pipeline across its territory that would take natural gas from Myanmar to India. India had proposed building of the 290 km pipeline to import gas from Myanmar, but the proposal was immediately approval by Bangladesh. Dhaka expects to meet its own requirement for gas as well as collect fees on the pipeline.

Energy ministers of the three countries had for the first time met in January 2005 in Yangon to discuss construction of a gas pipeline with a total length of 950 km, and signed a draft MoU. The pipeline is expected to enter eastern Bangladesh through the Brahmanbaria border point and enter India's West Bengal state from the northern Rajshahi area of Bangladesh. The draft agreement had a provision for hydropower transit from the Himalayas to Bangladesh through India, and a corridor across India for trade between Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

If the plan is implemented, $350 million worth of investments would be made in Bangladesh and it could expect to earn nearly $100 million in carrier fees per year. Bangladesh would also get another $100 million a one-off "right of way" charge and $25 million each year for sharing in its management. 1

• 1. “Dhaka to revive talks on Myanmar-India gas link” Reuters, 12 November, 2009 at http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssEnergyNews/idUSDHA15240020091112