Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina will jointly inaugurate three Indian-assisted development projects on November 1, 2023, at around 11 am via video conferencing, an official statement from Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
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.
The Akhaura-Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link project has been executed under the Government of India grant assistance of INR 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 PMO’s statement added.
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 USD 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 USD 1.6 billion, is a 1320 MW (2×660) Super Thermal Power Plant (MSTPP) located in Rampal in Khulna Division of Bangladesh. The project has been implemented by the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (Private) Limited (BIFPCL), which is a 50:50 Joint Venture company between India’s NTPC Ltd and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).
Unit I of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant was unveiled jointly by both Prime Ministers in September 2022 and Unit 2 will be inaugurated on 1 November 2023. The operationalization of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant will enhance energy security in Bangladesh.
These projects will strengthen connectivity and energy security in the region, the PMO’s release said.
