A VISIT to Bangladesh last week by Vice Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Vice Senior General Maung Aye, to discuss strengthening economic ties and building a cross-border highway, has opened a “new chapter” in bilateral relations between the two countries, a senior Bangladeshi official said.

The three-day visit by Vice Senior General Maung Aye, which began on October 7, came after a series of high-level exchanges between the leaders of the two countries, including a landmark visit to Dhaka by Chairman of the SPDC Senior General Than Shwe in 2002.

Vice Senior General Maung Aye’s visit included the signing of an agreement on avoiding double taxation, an accord that is aimed at increasing bilateral trade, which according to Bangladeshi government estimates stood at US$140 million last year.

The agreement was signed following talks in Dhaka between Vice Senior General Maung Aye and the head of Bangladesh’s military-backed caretaker government, Mr Fakhruddin Ahmed. During the meeting, Mr Ahmed proposed speeding up construction of a cross-border highway, a project on which the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding last year, Press Trust of India reported.

The PTI report said Mr Ahmed also offered to provide $20 million to build the 23-kilometre road inside Myanmar to finish project. He also proposed extending the road to link up with China.