Three initiatives in Bangladesh with Indian assistance demonstrate how cordial relations may accelerate economic growth: PM Sheikh Hasina

The launch of three development projects in Bangladesh with assistance from India, according to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has shown that cordial ties between neighbors may hasten their economies’ growth together.

After jointly virtually inaugurating three India-assisted development projects—the Akhaura-Agartala cross-border rail link, the Khulna-Mongla port rail line, and Unit II of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant in Bangladesh—with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, Hasina remarked, “I think it is an instance for the world.”

Hasina said, “We have demonstrated that positive neighbor relations accelerate national development,” and she predicted that relations with India will continue to improve for the benefit of both nations’ citizens.

“Together, we launched three initiatives today. It’s an example of uncommon goodwill and collaboration amongst people. With mutual collaboration, Bangladesh and India would achieve numerous victories in the days ahead, Hasina said. This will further cement the two nations’ ties going forward.

The cross-border rail connection project between Akhaura and Agartala is being carried out using funding provided by the Indian government, which has granted Bangladesh an additional Rs 392.52 crore. With a 6.78 km dual gauge rail line in Bangladesh and 5.46 km in Tripura, northeast India, the rail connection is 12.24 km long.

According to Hasina, recent mutual collaboration between Bangladesh and India has resulted in significant achievement.

She said that cooperative efforts had established connection between various Indian states and the northeastern region of India via the Chattogram and Mongla Ports, as well as helping to maintain peace and security in the area.

She claimed that India now has access to Chattogram Airport, Mongla Ports, and Chattogram. “With the Chattogram and Mongla ports, we have opened up opportunities for regional cooperation,” Hasina was cited by the official BSS news agency.

Prime Minister Modi described the opening of the India-Bangladesh train project as a “historic” occasion in his speech.

He said, “This is the first rail link between Bangladesh and the northeast.” We are happy to have reconnected to commemorate the accomplishments of the India-Bangladesh collaboration. During a video conference with Hasina, Modi said, “The work we have done together over the past nine years has not happened in decades.”

Dr. Manik Saha, the chief minister of Tripura, also participated digitally at the event.

According to a source acquainted with the project, the Akhaura-Agartala railway connection would shorten the 1,100 km journey distance and cut the trip duration from 31 hours to 10 hours.

At 12:20 PM BST, an empty goods container train left Gangagar in Akhaura, Brahmanbaria, and made it to the Nishchintapur rail station in Agartala, which took 35 minutes.

A passenger train trial run on the same line will shortly take place, according to the authorities.

The second railway track, about 64 km in length, would link the seaport of Mongla in the southwest of Bangladesh with the industrial city of Khulna in the southwest of the country, giving the sea port the much-needed broad-gauge railway network.

The 1320 MW (2×660) Super Thermal Power Plant (MSTPP) in Rampal, Khulna Division, is part of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Project, which is funded by a USD 1.6 billion loan under the Indian Concessional Financing Scheme. According to authorities, the facility will assist in supplying Bangladesh’s expanding energy needs.

The Khulna-Mongla and Akhaura-Agartala railway sections cost a total of Taka 4,704 crore in Bangladeshi currency, of which Tk 3,335 crore was provided by India in the form of loans and grants, according to the relevant authorities.

The Khulna-Mongla rail connection line would facilitate the operation of trains from Mongla to Dhaka via the Padma Bridge and Khulna, as well as to several of Bangladesh Railways’ western destinations.

Prior to now, representatives from Bangladesh said that the route will carry freight trains to India’s Gede, Radikapur, and Singhabad in addition to a few additional locations in Nepal and Bhutan.