During Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, various projects of Bangladesh-India, who benefits more?

Ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed major projects with India during her 15-year rule. The aim of these projects was to increase connectivity between the two countries—especially with the northeastern region of India.

Indian media outlet Economic Times-Infra on Tuesday (August 20) published a list of various projects between Bangladesh and India.

The report also analyzes why the current projects between Bangladesh and India are being undertaken. It shows how much the two countries will benefit from these projects.

Mongla port
Development and improvement work is going on at Mongla port in Bagerhat, Khulna. India-based ‘Egis India Consulting Engineer Pvt Ltd’ has got the second largest port renovation project in Bangladesh.

Renovation of Mongla port is very important for trade and connectivity between Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal.

Besides this port will also be used as Indo-Bangla protocol route. which will connect National Panipat 1 and 2 of India. Through this, the rivers of the northeastern states of India will be connected with the rest of India. This will allow India to transport goods bypassing the narrow Siliguri corridor.

Matarbari deep sea port
Construction of deep sea port is going on in Matarbari. The port is scheduled to start operations from 2027. It is expected to serve as an important port not only for Bangladesh but also for Northeast India.

Matarbari deep sea port is being developed by JICA of Japan. The initiative to develop the port is aimed at industrial agglomeration in the Cox’s Bazar-Chittagong belt area and beyond.

Northeast Road-Link System
This project is being done in India. The project is funded by Japan’s JICA. It aims to create road connectivity between Bangladesh and India’s northeastern region.

As part of the project, various road renovations and widening are going on. This includes Shillong to Meghalaya and Tripura to Bangladesh border. Besides, 20 km bridge is being built across Brakshanpara.

The project is part of the industrial infrastructure expansion in the Bay of Bengal region. When the Matarbari deep sea port in Bangladesh is completed in 2027, these roads in India will be connected to it.

Railway line
Last November, the border railway between Akhaura in Bangladesh and Agartala in India was launched. It is the shortest railway line between India’s northeastern states and West Bengal. On the other hand, the Khulna-Mongla railway project is expected to increase trade and connectivity between Khulna and Mongla ports.

This railway line will connect India, Nepal and Bhutan with a port on the Bay of Bengal. This will increase Bangladesh’s trade with neighboring countries.

Inland waterways
The Indo-Bangla Protocol route connects the port of Kolkata with Panipat in northeastern India. It passed through Bangladesh.

Efforts have been made by both countries to transport cargo through waterways connected to Bangladesh’s Mongla and Chittagong ports.

According to India’s Ministry of Ports, Transport and Waterways, Bangladesh will have direct connectivity with its northeastern states of Kolkata, Haldia and Mongla ports through waterways. By doing this, the cargo can be transported and the cost of transportation will be reduced a lot. Various items including fly ash, stone, project cargo, iron are transported through this route.

Meanwhile, according to the report of the media, the chief adviser of the interim government, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, is trying to bring back law and order in Bangladesh. Among these, the Government of India is keeping an eye on various connectivity projects related to India’s interests.

The report also states that Indian government-backed Exim Bank — which invests in India-backed projects in various countries — has invested $7.9 billion in Bangladesh till July 2023.