Tripura’s connectivity project with Bangladesh may be delayed: Minister

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Tripura’s connectivity project with Bangladesh – the Agartala-Akhaura rail link and Maitree bridge – may be delayed due to the political turmoil and change in government in the neighbouring country, state Transport minister Sushanta Chowdhury said.

An interim government under Muhammad Yunus was formed in the neighbouring country after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5 following widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.

Mr. Chowdhury said most of the connectivity projects with Bangladesh were almost complete but now not sure when they will be started.

“All the connectivity projects with Bangladesh… We are not sure when these projects which were almost completed will see the light of the day. The Agartala-Chittagong flight was to be started soon, but it has become uncertain now. The same is the condition of the Agartala-Akhaura rail link, Maitree Bridge, etc. Let us wait and watch,” the Tripura Transport minister told PTI.

The 12.24-long Agartala-Akhaura rail link being built at a total cost of Rs 972.52 crore is the first railway connectivity between India’s North-East and Bangladesh to encourage trade between the two countries.

The general manager of the Indian Railway Construction Company Ltd (IRCON), Raman Singh Singla said the 5.46 k.m. long railway track was completed on the Indian side.

A Railway Ministry official said 98% work on the 6.78 k.m. long track in Bangladesh was already completed and the project could see the light of the day any time, but with the political turmoil and change in government in the neighbouring country, the project may be delayed.

The official said the work on the Indian side was funded by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and the Bangladesh side work was implemented by the Bangladesh Railway and funded by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

This project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on November 1 last year.

The Maitree bridge was inaugurated long back and movements of passenger and goods-laden trucks was supposed to start soon.

However, representatives of the chamber of commerce and intelligentsia in Tripura are of the view that trade and internal politics cannot be mixed up because international trade is beneficial for both countries.

Professor Asish Nath of the Department of Economic, Tripura University said, “We should not always mix up internal politics with trade because it is beneficial for both countries. Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday and the country witnessed unprecedented violence, but trade resumed on Thursday through land ports”.

Mr. Nath said all the Tripura-Bangladesh connectivity projects would be started, but it might take some time.

The President of the Export-Import Chamber of Commerce, Tripura, Nitai Saha said, “Maybe the volume of trade through all the land ports including Agartala-Akhaura and Srimantapur Integrated Check posts have reduced, but it resumed within three-four days of fall of the Awami League government. I have no doubt that trade will start in full swing and all the connectivity projects will be launched. Let us wait for some time.” Tripura shares an 856 km long border with Bangladesh. On a normal day on average, 300-400 goods-laden trucks pass through these trading points.

“Trade benefits the government and people both. So it is expected that traders will put pressure on the government to normalise the import-export business,” Khokan Bhowmick, the president of the Agartala Export Sangha said.

According to the Tripura government’s Industry and Commerce Department record the trade between Tripura and Bangladesh has increased substantially from Rs 230.24 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 715.98 crore in 2023-24.