New Delhi, 01 November: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the India-Bangladesh international rail route between Agartala in Tripura and Akhaura in Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh on Wednesday through video conferencing.
The three Indian-assisted development projects that were jointly inaugurated include the Akhaura Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link, the Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line, and Unit-II of Maitri Super Thermal Power Plant.
The Akhaura-Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link Project has been implemented under a grant-in-aid of Rs 392.52 crore given by the Government of India to Bangladesh. The length of the rail link is 12.24 km, with 6.78 km of dual-gauge rail line in Bangladesh and 5.46 km in Tripura.
The Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line Project has been implemented under the concessional credit facility of the Government of India, with a total project cost of US$ 388.92 million. The project involves the construction of approximately 65 kilometres of broad-gauge rail route between Mongla Port and the existing rail network at Khulna.
With this, Bangladesh’s second-largest port, Mongla, has been connected to the broad gauge railway network.
Maitri Super Thermal Power Project, under the Indian Concessional Financing Scheme loan of US$1.6 billion, is a 1320 MW (2×660) Super Thermal Power Plant (MSTPP) located at Rampal, Khulna Division of Bangladesh.
The project is implemented by Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (Private) Limited (BIFPCL), a 50:50 joint venture company between India’s NTPC Limited and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). Unit-1 of the Maitri Super Thermal Power Plant was jointly unveiled by the two Prime Ministers in September 2022, and Unit-2 will be inaugurated on November 1, 2023.
The operation of the Maitri Super Thermal Power Plant will enhance energy security in Bangladesh. These projects will strengthen connectivity and energy security in the region.
