By Firstdespatch Desk Apr 14, 2023
Agartala, Apr 14 (FD) A Day after Bangladesh Minister of State for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said Transit and transhipment of cargo between North-eastern India and Bangladesh using Chittagong port will start soon, a joint delegation of the neighbouring country and India on Thursday visited Maitri bridge connecting the two countries.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Mustafizur Rahaman accompanied by Land Ports Authority of India chairman Aditya Mishra visited Maitri Setu on the river Feni at Sabroom, the southernmost town connecting India and Chittagong division of Bangladesh on Thursday.
They reviewed the progress of the construction of the land port at Sabroom to assess how quickly passenger’s movement as well as cargo could be started, sources in the LPAI said today.
Mishra said, “More than 80 % works for construction of land port is complete. Around 60 per cent work of cargo terminal construction has so far been done to facilitate movement of goods and people".
He said, it is expected that it would take three to four months to make the 1.9 KM long bridge operational.
Transit and transhipment of cargo between North-eastern India and Bangladesh using Chittagong port will start soon, the neighbouring country's minister said here on Wednesday.
Tripura is set to become the 'Gateway of North East' with access to Chittagong port of Bangladesh, which is just 70 kilometres from Sabroom in the north-eastern state, he said.
“We are ready for the start of transit and transhipment of goods between Bangladesh and the north-eastern region of India through Chittagong. Trial runs were completed and all arrangements for immigration and customs formalities on the Bangladesh side are also ready,” Chowdhury said.
The bridge was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina on March 9, 2021. This will facilitate movement of passengers and goods from Chittagong Port.
After the bridge is made operational, it will also help Bangladesh's trade with Nepal and Bhutan, Chowdhury said. FD JK