Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi
counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated three Indian-assisted development
projects via video conferencing on Wednesday.
The three projects are the Akhaura-Agartala
Cross-Border Rail Link, Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line and Unit-II of the Maitree
Super Thermal Power Plant in Rampal, Bangladesh.
The inauguration of rail and power sector projects
between Bharat and Bangladesh lay focus on strengthened ties and partnership
between the two countries.
“The joint inauguration of these important projects
manifests the firm friendship and collaboration between our two friendly
countries. I would like to thank PM Modi for the warm hospitality during my
visit in September 2023 to attend the G20 Summit,” said the Bangladesh Prime
Minister.
“I express my gratitude for your commitment to
strengthening the bonds of friendship between our two countries,” said Sheikh
Hasina.
The Akhaura-Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link project
has been executed under a Government of India grant assistance of ₹ 392.52
crore extended to Bangladesh. The length of the rail link is 12.24 km with a
6.78 km Dual Gauge rail line in Bangladesh and 5.46 km in Tripura.
The Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line Project has been
implemented under the Government of India’s concessional Line of Credit with a
total project cost of US$ 388.92 million.
The project entails the construction of approximately
65 km of broad gauge rail route between Mongla Port and the existing rail
network in Khulna. With this, Mongla, the second largest port of Bangladesh,
gets connected with the broad-gauge railway network.
The Maitree Super Thermal Power Project, under an
Indian Concessional Financing Scheme loan of 1.6 billion US dollars, is a 1,320
MW Super Thermal Power Plant located in Rampal in Khulna Division of
Bangladesh.
The project has been implemented by the Bangladesh-India
Friendship Power Company Limited which is a 50:50 Joint Venture company between
Bharat’s NTPC Ltd and Bangladesh Power Development Board. These projects will
strengthen connectivity and energy security in the region.
During the inauguration ceremony, Sheikh Hasina also
extended greetings to Prime Minister Modi and the people of Bharat in advance
of Diwali.
“I would conclude her by conveying warm greetings in
advance for the upcoming Diwali. I wish Your Excellency PM Modi and the people
of India a very Happy Diwali,” said the Bangladesh Prime Minister.
Over the last decade, the Bangladesh-Bharat Friendship
Dialogue has served as a critical platform for strengthening bilateral
relations between the two nations. The theme of this year’s Dialogue is ‘Fostering
a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership’, BNN News reported.
Earlier this March, both PMs Modi and Sheikh Hasina
inaugurated the Bharat-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, a cross-border energy
pipeline, built at an estimated cost of ₹ 377 crore, of which the Bangladesh
portion of the pipeline was built at a cost of approx ₹ 285 crore, which has
been borne by the Indian Government under grant assistance, read Prime Minister’s
Office press release.
The Pipeline has the capacity to transport 1 Million
Metric Ton Per Annum (MMTPA) of High-Speed Diesel (HSD). It will supply
High-Speed Diesel initially to seven districts in northern Bangladesh.
The operation of Bharat-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline
will put in place a sustainable, reliable, cost-effective and
environment-friendly mode of transporting HSD from Bharat to Bangladesh.
Moreover, in September, the 15th Meeting of the Joint
Working Group on Trade (JWG) between Bharat and Bangladesh was held in Dhaka,
Bangladesh, where the two nations discussed various bilateral issues, including
removal of port restrictions, the groundwork for the commencement of the
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
The meeting was co-chaired by the Joint Secretary,
Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India,
Vipul Bansal and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Government of
Bangladesh, Noor Md. Mahbubul Haq.
The Joint Working Group on Trade (JWG) Meetings
between India and Bangladesh are held annually to discuss key trade-related
issues and “explore opportunities for economic and technical collaboration,
promotion, facilitation, expansion and diversification of trade between the two
countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.”
Moreover, these meetings play a crucial role in
quickly resolving bilateral issues by removing trade barriers, simplifying
customs procedures, improvement of infrastructure, logistics, and transit
facilities to facilitate smoother cross-border trade.
ANI
