New Delhi: In a historic move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, jointly inaugurated three Indian-assisted development projects via video conference on Wednesday. The three projects are the Akhaura-Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link, the Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line, and Unit-II of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant in Rampal, Bangladesh.
“The joint inauguration of these significant projects reflects the strong 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,” stated the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
“I express my gratitude for your commitment to strengthening the bonds of friendship between our two countries,” Sheikh Hasina added.
The Akhaura-Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link project was executed with a Government of Bharat grant assistance of Rs 392.52 crore extended to Bangladesh. The rail link has a length of 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 Bharat’s concessional Line of Credit, with a total project cost of USD 388.92 million. The project includes the construction of approximately 65 km of broad gauge rail route connecting Mongla Port to the existing rail network in Khulna. With this development, Mongla, the second-largest port of Bangladesh, is now connected to the broad-gauge railway network.
The Maitree Super Thermal Power Project, funded through an Indian Concessional Financing Scheme loan of 1.6 billion US dollars, is a 1320 MW Super Thermal Power Plant located in Rampal in the Khulna Division of Bangladesh. The project has been implemented by the Bangladesh-Bharat Friendship Power Company Limited, a 50:50 Joint Venture company between Bharat’s NTPC Ltd and Bangladesh Power Development Board. These projects will enhance connectivity and energy security in the region.
During the inauguration ceremony, Sheikh Hasina also extended her greetings to Prime Minister Modi and the people of Bharat in advance of Diwali.
Earlier, in March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Bharat-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, a cross-border energy pipeline, built at an estimated cost of Rs 377 crore.
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