Opinion: Tripura in Indo-Bangla ties
Given the State’s geostrategic location in North-East, connectivity initiatives with Bangladesh must be valued
By Samara Ashrat
Hyderabad: The people of Tripura and Bangladesh have shared their troubles and success since the beginning of civilisation. An 856-kilometre-long, porous border that makes up 85% of Tripura’s border with Bangladesh connects the two countries. Due to Tripura’s geostrategic location in north-east India, connectivity initiatives with Bangladesh must be valued and sought for.
Agartala-Akahura Rail project
One of the most well-known connecting projects between India and Bangladesh is the Agartala-Akahura international railway. Before the independence of Bangladesh, Akhaura (Bangladesh) served as Agartala’s (Tripura) rail connection. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between India and Bangladesh in 2013 to reopen the railway connection.
The Agartala-Akhaura international railway connectivity project is about 88% finished, and the remaining work is anticipated to be completed in the following five to six months. An international immigration station would be located in Nischintapur (West Bengal) at the India-Bangladesh border on the 15-kilometre-long railway line connecting Akhaura.
The project’s completion will shorten the travel time between Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka from 31 hours to 10 hours. When complete, it will travel for a distance of 5.46 km from Nischintapur to the Agartala railway station, and a distance of 10.6 km from Gangasagar, Bangladesh, to that same location. The scope of business contacts would increase with the completion of the Agartala-Akhaura railway route.
At Nischintapur, which acts as the Tripura junction for the Agartala-Akhaura train route, India also plans to construct an integrated checkpoint and freight processing facility. This train connection would reduce the distance between Agartala and Kolkata as it would use Dhaka as its hub instead of Guwahati.
The current 31-hour trip from Agartala to Kolkata will only take 10 hours because it would only travel 550 km instead of 1,600. India and Bangladesh currently have four active train links between West Bengal and Western Bangladesh: Petrapole-Benapole, Gede-Darshana, Radhikapur-Biral and Singhabad-Rohanpur. The last two also influence how Nepali transit traffic is used. Both these, which are 150 km from Mizoram, and those from Agartala will profit from the current line.
Other Initiatives
Tripura has a few other international connectivity initiatives connecting it to Bangladesh in addition to the Agartala-Akhaura railway line, like the Indo-Bangla Maitri Bridge in South Tripura and the inland waterways transport project in the Sepahijala district. In Tripura, at Sabroom, an additional Integrated Check Post (ICP) with Bangladesh is being built. Tripura is anticipated to have access to Bangladesh’s Chittagong and Mongla ports after all the projects are completed, creating new opportunities for trade and business.
There are numerous current infrastructural projects linking Tripura and Bangladesh. Opening Maitri Setu across the Feni River was one of the significant initiatives between Tripura and Bangladesh. Tripura would become the gateway to Southeast Asia if the Maitri Bridge connects Ramgarh in Bangladesh with Sabroom in India. This bridge is only 74 km away from the Chittagong Port.
When completed, the Agartala-Akhaura train line and the Feni bridge connecting Sabroom, Tripura, with Chittagong, Bangladesh, would turn Tripura from a “landlocked” State into one that is well-connected. By constructing highways that connect it to Thailand, Myanmar and India, Tripura will be able to strengthen its links and relationships.
Airport Boost
The Maharaja Bir Bikram airport in Tripura will become the third international airport in the landlocked region’s northeast when its new terminal is completed this year. Flights will operate between Agartala and Dhaka as well as other locations like Chittagong and Sylhet after this airport becomes operational. To strengthen connectivity between Bangladesh’s northeastern districts, Pranay Verma, the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka, recently expressed interest in investing in new airports there. Travel by air will strengthen ties between India and the ASEAN countries as well as between Bangladesh, the Indian subcontinent and Tripura.
Solar Storage
Additionally, Tripura will house the nation’s first solar power storage facility for the region’s northeast. Plans are being developed to export pollution-free, ecologically beneficial electricity from this storage to Bangladesh besides satisfying the demands of the State. This was said during a press conference held by Tripura’s Minister of Power, Ratan Lal Nath, on April 1. The State government has initially chosen the south district’s Sabroom neighbourhood because this area is being developed as a special economic zone. By supplying the region’s demands, it will be possible to export the excess electricity to Bangladesh.
Tripura might be a trustworthy and valuable partner for Bangladesh in its own interests. There is a significant cultural affinity that will undoubtedly enhance social and academic interactions with Bangladesh. It serves the interests of both nations to maintain Tripura’s leadership in the India-Bangladesh relationship. After these initiatives, the aspirations of individuals in Tripura to establish commercial ties with Bangladesh would be strengthened. A new route for public and goods transportation would be built, and Tripura would gain an important position in terms of trade and commerce. Jobs would also be created for the unemployed..
