On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly launched three virtual projects, one of which is a crucial rail connection between Nischintapur, Tripura, and Gangasagar, the neighbouring nation.
The 65-kilometer Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line and Unit 2 of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant in Rampal, Bangladesh, are the other two projects that Modi and Hasina officially opened.
The Agartala-Akhaura Cross Border Rail Link, India-Bangladesh rail project, was inaugurated, PM Modi called it a “historic” occasion. “This is the first rail link between the northeast and Bangladesh,” he stated.
The three projects are all development initiatives with support from India.
The 12.24-km rail project between Nischintapur and Gangasagar (6.78 km dual gauge line in Bangladesh and 5.46 km in Tripura) is anticipated to improve cross-border trade and cut down on the amount of time it takes to get from Agartala to Kolkata via Dhaka.
“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 over video-conferencing.
As per Hasina, the three projects will improve the two nations’ cooperation on infrastructure development.
“The joint inauguration of these important projects shows that we have a strong bond of friendship and collaboration… I also thank PM Modi for the warm hospitality during my visit in September for the G20 Summit,” she said.