Context:

• India Bangladesh launched three India-assisted development projects, two of which are expected to boost trade and improve connectivity with the Northeastern states. 

India Bangladesh Open Rail Link, Power, Port Projects

• The three projects are the Akhaura Agartala Rail Link,  Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line; and Unit 2 of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant.
• Akhaura Agartala Rail Link Project: This is the first rail link from India’s northeastern states to Bangladesh.
  • It has been executed under Government of India grant assistance of Rs 392.52 crores 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. 

• • Significance: Lesser travel time. The travel time will be cut to 12 hours from the earlier, much longer 38 hours. 
  • With the Akhaura- Agartala cross-border rail link operational, trains can run from Kolkata to Agartala via Bangladesh.
    • The neighbouring country is located in the middle of the land mass between India’s northeast and the rest of the country, connected only by a small corridor in Bengal’s Siliguri popularly known as the “Chicken’s Neck.
• The Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line Project:  It has been implemented under Government of India concessional line of credit with a total project cost of $388.92 million. 
  • The project entails 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.
  • Significance:  It will boost the connectivity of Bangladesh with its three neighbours – India, Nepal and Bhutan. 
  • The rail link will establish a connection between Mongla Port and Siliguri in India through Panchagarh and Banglabandha in the north.
• Maitree Super Thermal Power Project
  • Location: Rampal, Bangladesh, developed on the bank of Passur River.
  • Capacity: 1320 MW
  • Financing: Concessional funding from India
  • Project Cost: The $2 billion
  • Built by: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and the Bangladesh Power Development Board.  

News Source: Live Mint