Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday jointly inaugurated three India assisted projects via virtual mode. These include a key rail link between Tripura’s Nischintapur and Gangasagar in the neighbouring country. Modi described the rail link a “historic moment.”
The other two projects inaugurated by Modi and Hasina are the 65 km Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line, and Unit 2 of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant in Bangladesh’s Rampal.
Modi said inauguration of the India-Bangladesh rail project — the Agartala-Akhaura Cross Border Rail Link — was a “historic” moment.
“This is the first rail link between the northeast and Bangladesh,” he said.
The 12.24 km rail project (6.78 km dual gauge line in Bangladesh and 5.46 km in Tripura) between Nischintapur and Gangasagar is expected to boost cross-border trade and significantly reduce the travel time between Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka. The trial run of the rail project was completed on Monday, after a train from Gangasagar railway station in Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh arrived at Nischintapur railway station.
“It is a matter of joy that we have connected once again to
celebrate the success of the India-Bangladesh cooperation. In the past nine years, the work we have done together has not happened in decades,” Modi said in an interaction with Hasina.
He also said, “In last nine years, our internal trade has tripled… Today, the inauguration of the Akhaura-Agartala rail link is a historic moment… This is the first rail link between Bangladesh and the North Eastern States of India… Tripura has had a strong bond with Bangladesh since the days of its Liberation struggle.”
Hasina said the three projects would further strengthen the infrastructure development collaboration between the two countries.
“The joint inauguration of these important projects shows that we have a strong bond of friendship and collaboration... I also thank Modi for the warm hospitality during my visit in September for the G20 Summit,” she said.
“I think it is an instance for the world. We have proved that good relations with the neighbour accelerate the country’s development. It is a demonstration of having rare friendly relations and mutual cooperation. Bangladesh and India will attain many successes in the days to come through mutual cooperation, which will strengthen the relationship between the two countries,” Hasina said.
She also said mutual efforts have helped ensure peace and stability in the northeast region of India, and establish connectivity between many Indian States with its northeast part through Chattogram and Mongla Ports. India had extended Rs 392.52 crore as grant assistance to Bangladesh for the Agartala-Akhaura Cross Border Rail Link, officials said.
As part of the Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line, a 65 km broad gauge route was constructed between Bangladesh’s Mongla Port and the existing rail network in Khulna.
The 1,320 MW Maitree Super Thermal Power Project was implemented by the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture between India’s NTPC and the Bangladesh Power Development Board. The plant is located at Rampal in Khulna division of Bangladesh.