Agartala, October 31: Three development projects in Bangladesh funded by the Government of India will be inaugurated tomorrow on November 1. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the projects virtually at 11 am. The three projects include Agartala-Akhaura rail link, Khulna – Mongla rail line and Unit-II of Maitri Super Thermal Power Plant. Tripura Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha will attend the inauguration ceremony virtually at the Secretariat.
The Akhaura-Agartala Rail Link Project has been executed under the grant assistance of Government of India of Tk 392.52 crore on the part of Bangladesh. The rail link length is 12.24 km including 6.78 km dual gauge railway line in Bangladesh and 5.46 km in Tripura.
The Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line project has been implemented under the concessional line of credit of the Government of India. A total of 388.92 million US dollars has been spent on that project. This project involves the construction of about 65 km of broad gauge railway between Mongla Port and the existing rail network in Khulna. It connects Bangladesh’s second largest port Mongla with the broad gauge railway network.
The Maitri Super Thermal Power Project is a 1320 MW (2×660) Super Thermal Power Plant (MSTPP) located in Rampal, Khulna Division, Bangladesh, financed by a US$ 1.6 billion loan under the Indian Concessional Financing Scheme. The project is implemented by India-Bangladesh Friendship Power Company (Pvt.) Limited (BIFPCL).
The company is set up as a 50:50 joint venture between India’s NTPC Limited and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). Unit-I of Maitri Super Thermal Power Plant was jointly inaugurated by both the Prime Ministers in September 2022. Unit-II will be inaugurated tomorrow on November 1. Operation of Maitri Super Thermal Power Plant will enhance power security in Bangladesh. These projects will strengthen communication and power security in the region.
