Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated the 12.24 km Akhaura-Agartala cross-border rail link on Wednesday, November 1. The big project foster possibilities in trade, business, tourism and people to people contact between two countries. The two leaders jointly opened the rail link unveiling the inaugural plaque by pressing button through video conferencing, from Dhaka and New Delhi. Reports BSS. At the same programme, they also jointly inaugurated India-assisted two more development projects, Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line; and Unit - II of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant. Chief Minister of India's Tripura Dr Manik Saha also virtually joined the event. The 12.24 km Akhaura-Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link project with a 6.78 km Dual Gauge rail line in Bangladesh and 5.46 km in Tripura has been implemented under India grant assistance of INR 392.52 crore. On Monday, the trial run took place on this route by a cargo train that travelled from Bangladesh's Gangasagar to Nischintapur railway station in Agartala while the trial run of passenger train will be conducted soon. The Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line project has been implemented with India's concessional Line of Credit as its total project cost is $388.92 million (69.18 percent funding came from Indian LoC). The construction work of the approximately 64.7km rail line was completed at a cost of Tk 4,260 crore which to usher in new opportunities in trade and commerce in the country's southwestern region, including the Mongla Port. With opening of the rail link, Mongla, the second largest port of Bangladesh, has got connected to the broad-gauge railway network. The Maitree Super Thermal Power Project under Indian Concessional Financing Scheme loan of $1.6 billion, features 1320MW (2x660) Super Thermal Power Plant (MSTPP) located in Rampal in Khulna Division. The plant help meet the growing demand of power in Bangladesh. The project has been implemented by the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (Private) Limited (BIFPCL), which is a 50:50 Joint Venture company between India's NTPC Ltd and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). Unit I of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant was unveiled jointly by the two prime ministers in September 2022 as Unit 2 was inaugurated today. The operationalization of Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant will enhance energy security in Bangladesh.

Railway workers have been blocked rail line on Sunday for demanding their permanent employment. As a result train communication with Dhaka has been stopped since the morning. Dhaka Railway Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ferdous Ahmed said, "around 10 am we got the news of rail line blockade at Malibagh. After going to the spot, I learned that the temporary workers of Bangladesh Railway have blocked the railway line to demand permanent employment."  Ferdous Ahmed Biswas, officer-in-charge of Kamalapur Railway Police Station, confirmed the development, saying that the workers are staged in their demand and are blocking the rail track. Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said in a media that, there is no chance of making their jobs permanent as they work on the basis of daily wage.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the much-awaited elevated expressway's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport-Farmgate section for traffic today.   "The Prime Minister will inaugurate the expressway at a programme to be held at the old trade fair ground at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar here at 3.30pm tomorrow," project director of Dhaka Elevated Expressway AHMS Akter said this. The airport-Farmgate section will be opened to traffic the next day of the inauguration, the official added.   He said the length of this section is about 11.5 km. There are 15 ramps for boarding. Out of these, two ramps at Banani and Mohakhali will remain closed for the time being. The maximum speed limit for traffic on the expressway will be 60 km per hour. Three wheelers, bicycles and pedestrians will not be allowed to move on the expressway, while motorbikes cannot run on it right now. Earlier, the road transport and bridges ministry fixed the toll rates for the Dhaka Elevated Expressway's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport-Farmgate section ranging from Taka 80 to Taka 400. Under category 1, the toll rate for car, taxi, jeep, sports utility vehicle, microbus (under 16 seats) and light truck (under 3 tonnes) for crossing the airport-Farmgate section from any point is Taka 80. The toll rate for medium truck (up to six wheels) for crossing the route from any point is Taka 320 under category 2. Under category 3, the toll rate for truck (over six wheels) for crossing the route from any point is Taka 400. The toll rate for any bus (16 seated or above) for crossing the route from any point is Taka 160 under category 4. The total length of the elevated expressway is 46.73km covering Kawla, Kuril, Banani, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Moghbazar, Kamalapur, Sayedabad, Jatrabari to Kutubkhali on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. Initially, the speed limit on the expressway will be 60km per hour and vehicles need 10 minutes to travel the 11km distance from the HSIA to Farmgate. With an 11.5km mainline and 11km ramp, the length of the part will be 22.5km. Initially, 13 out of 15 ramps in this part will be opened. The ramps at Banani and Mohakhali will be opened once their construction is complete. The total expenditure of the project is estimated at Taka 8,940 crore, while the viability gap funding is Taka 2,413 crore, which will be provided by Bangladesh government. The First Dhaka Elevated Expressway (FDEE) Company Ltd is the investor company. Italian Thai Development Public Company Ltd has 51 percent shares, China Shandong International Economic and Technical Co-operation Group (CSI) holds 34 percent while Sinohydro Corporation Ltd 15 percent shares. As per the project, the first contract was signed on January 19, 2011 and the reviewed agreement was signed December 15, 2013 and the project completion period was July 2011-June 2024. Construction of the second phase Banani Railway Station to Moghbazar Railway Crossing is progressing fast. In the last 15 years, several infrastructure projects have been initiated in Bangladesh. Considering the size, budget, and economic impact, many of these projects have been termed mega-projects.  The government has also identified a few of them as fast-track projects. Among these, the Padma Multipurpose Bridge, Bangladesh's first metro rail project MRT Line-6 and Chandra-Elenga four-lane highway were completed.   Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel, the first and longest underwater road tunnel in South Asia, is expected to be ready for traffic soon.   The other projects-Padma bridge rail link, Chattogram-Cox's Bazar rail link, Rooppur nuclear power plant, Matarbari 1200MW coal-fired power plant, the Payra deep sea port, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Railway Bridge on the river Jamuna are extremely crucial to the country's economic growth and hence the key focus of the government now is their timely completion. After the Awami League government came to power in 2009, it took up several monumental development projects with the view to transforming the country's communication, transport and power infrastructure. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government has introduced modern transport system Dhaka Metro Rail partially and opened the Padma Multipurpose Bridge and other mega projects.

Railway lines in the capital halted as hundreds of temporary railway workers protested on demanding job regularization. Workers blocked the railway line near the FDC in Kawran Bazar around 10am on Sunday. They also said that they will not leave the railway until the demand is met. Around 7,500 temporary workers have been working in the railways for 12-14 years.  The workers said that the railway authorities promised them to make their jobs permanent within three to four years, but they did not keep their words. They alleged that the railway authorities were now trying to outsource new workers instead of making their jobs permanent.  

India could get its first dedicated medical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) corridor before year-end. This as India’s premier medical institute, AIIMS, could get a drone corridor with its extension campus at Haryana’s Jhajjar before the year-end. If that happens, rushing life-saving supplies from the parent campus to AIIMS Jhajjar  located around 50-km apart with a drive time of about 1.5 hours between the two depending on traffic will be a matter of minutes. Aviation ministry officials said the ministry and Airports Authority of India have approved (this plan). “AIIMS is awaiting (some) other approvals. Once that happens test flights will be carried out. If all goes well, regular (drone) flights may start in about six months,” the official added. One of the top officials from AIIMS confirmed that they are waiting for an approval from Delhi Police. Once they have it, the drone facility will be launched by the health minister,” he said. Initially, the official added, drones will be used to transport blood samples, blood products and medicines. “There are some tests that aren’t available at the Jhajjar campus currently. We can use the drones to transport samples to Delhi campus for testing. Similarly, blood products can be transported in case of urgent requirement,” he explained.   Over the past one year, drones have been used to send medical supplies, including Covid vaccines, to remote parts of India. In coming times, their deployment for rushing life-saving medicines is only going to increase. The tricky part is using them in urban areas, and that too in areas lying in flight path of airports. “There have been numerous occasions when local police across Indian cities have created traffic corridors for vehicles to rush freshly harvested organs from airports for being transplanted to critically ill patients in city hospitals. Given the state of traffic in all big Indian cities, this is not an easy thing to do. Drones can do the same job in peak-hour traffic too,” Arjun Aggarwal, MD of drone major Aerodyne India group, told TOI. One of the challenges in transporting medicines, blood sample, blood products or organs to be used for transplant is how to maintain its temperature, handle vibration that may be caused during the transportation and other contingency plans like biosafety. Sources said a panel discussion was held on the sidelines of the Bharat Drone Mahotsav - India's biggest drone festival - that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Pragati Maidan on May 27 to deliberate on this issue. “We discussed the models adopted by countries such as Israel where this facility is already in use,” one of the experts, who participated in the deliberation, told TOI. A drone corridor is defined as a segregated airspace defined by appropriate authorities in consultation with the airspace designers to keep commercial UAV operations out of the airspace, in which manned aircrafts operate. Air traffic control, which comes under the AAI, has an important role to play in this corridor as it traverses the flight corridors/approach path of Delhi airport’s runways. AIIMS comes under the approach path of runway 27 (closest to Dwarka side).  Next comes the IIT area that is the flight corridor for the main runway (28). And beyond that the Saket malls-Qutab Minar areas is the approach for runway 29 (the one close to Shivji statue). "The AIIMS project for rushing life-saving medical supplies through drones is excellent. If it succeeds, other medical institutions in various states can replicate the same model for better utilization technology and equipment," Dr Harsh Mahajan, founder and chief radiologist of Mahajan Imaging and former president NATHEALTH, told.   Source: The Times of India

Awami League Joint General Secretary and Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today (Saturday) said the arrested Hefajat leaders admitted BNP-Jamaat’s active involvement and financing in the mayhem carried out on March 26-28 last. “Arrested Hefajat leaders started disclosing the truth. They have already admitted where and when the meetings were held and who funded,” he said while replying to reporters at his Minto Road residence in the capital. Earlier, the minister virtually inaugurated food aid distribution for 2000 low income group families at his home constituency of Rangunia in Chattogram under his personal initiative. Hasan said Indian newspaper the Economic Times and some Bangladeshi newspapers reported that BNP-Jamaat actively took part and financed in the countrywide mayhem carried out under the banner of Hefajat on March 26-28 in collaboration with Pakistani intelligence agency. He said attacks were carried out on houses and properties of innocent people, vehicles were torched, arson attack was carried out in land office, deeds and papers of general people were burnt, houses were set on fire, fire service office and railway station and police station came under attack. Ruination of heritages and antiques and even attacks on temples of other religions are not merely stray incidents, he said. The minister said as part of a big conspiracy, the anarchy was created in the country targeting to oust the government and BNP-Jamaat completely extended support and funded in the incident while Pakistani spy agency also financed. So, those who were involved with the anarchy and who extended support will not be spared by any means, he said. Earlier, in his address during the inauguration of food aid distribution, Hasan called upon the leaders and workers of his party and associate bodies in his constituency to come forward to stand by the day-laborers, boatmen, rickshaw and van pullers, working class and low income group people during the coronavirus crisis. He also asked the party men to continue their support to farmers in cutting paddy following the directives of Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina. Under the initiative of the minister’s familial institution NNK Foundation, 2000 low-income families of Pomra, Hosnabad, Mariamnagar, Chandraghona and municipality areas under Rangunia upazila were given food aid. NNK Foundation Director Khaled Mahmud, Chattogram District North unit AL Religious Affairs Secretary and Rangunia Municipality Mayor Md Shahjahan Sikder, Organizing Secretary Nazrul Islam Talukder, NNK Foundation’s Abdur Rahman Master, Jasim Uddin Talukder, Emrul Karim Rashed and Upazila Jubo League President Shamsuddoha Sikder Arju were present, among others, on the occasion at Rangunia end. The minister said the aid distribution will continue during the coronavirus crisis. Source: BSS AH

Bangladesh – India connectivity achieves new heights Ever since Sheikh Hasina assumed power in 2009, constant efforts are being made to improve connectivity between Bangladesh and India. A number of connectivity agreements between the two countries are being executed, while older agreements are being renewed with appropriate modifications wherever necessary. Regional connectivity is not only strengthening friendship between Bangladesh and India but also proving to be a strong link of business. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came up with this remark while inaugurating ‘Maitri Setu’ (Friendship Bridge) virtually with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9. The Indian Prime Minister expressed the view that connectivity between Bangladesh and India will prove to be very important for the north-east region of India and Bangladesh trade as well. Inaugurating the bridge Sheikh Hasina lauded India for ‘building a prosperous region together’ and wished for a ‘successful operation and utilization of the Maitri Setu’. The opening of the bridge is a “testimony to Bangladesh government’s continued commitment to support our neighbor India in strengthening connectivity in the region”, she said. She also expressed happiness that the event is taking place at a time when the country is celebrating birth centenary of Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence and the 50th year of Bangladesh-India diplomatic relations. ‘Maitri Setu’ which spans 1.9 km joining Sabrum in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh has been built over Feni river which flows between the Indian boundary in Tripura and Bangladesh. It has been built by India’s state-owned National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation at a cost of INR 133 Crore. The name of the bridge symbolizes growing bilateral and friendly relations between Bangladesh and India. The bridge will improve connectivity of south Assam, Mizoram and Manipur along with Tripura with Bangladesh and South East Asia. It will also give an impetus to economic opportunities in Bangladesh. With the opening of the bridge movement of goods between West Bengal and the land-locked Northeastern states of India can take place through Bangladesh. In her inaugural speech Sheikh Hasina expressed her willingness to make Dhaka a connectivity hub and said “Bangladesh is ready to maximize its locational advantage as connectivity hub between South and Southeast Asia. We believe that the cross-border transport system that Bangladesh is developing with India is a step in this regard which will allow us to play an important role in regional trade and commerce”. The bridge is poised to herald a new chapter for trade and people- to-people movement between Bangladesh and India. With inauguration of the bridge Tripura is set to become ‘Gateway of North East India’ with access to Chittagong port which is just 80 km from Sabrum. Bangladesh-India ties have been witnessing a steady improvement for the last one decade. During this period both the countries not only strengthened their diplomatic ties but also deepened their bonds on all fronts including trade, commerce, connectivity, energy and power, space, developmental projects, culture and people-to-people exchanges. Under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership Bangladesh has become self-sufficient with food and ensured quality health services in rural areas. To meet the growing demands for electricity Bangladesh has taken mega projects like the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and Rampal Coal-powered Power Plant. The government pledged to ease connectivity between central region and southern region by building the largest bridge in the country over the Padma river. Under the present government’s motto ‘Friendship With All, Malice For None’ and Sheikh Hasina’s style of pro-active democracy, the country has maintained an active international profile. One of the thrusts of the government’s foreign policy has been enhanced ties with neighbours and increased regional connectivity. Sheikh Hasina has laid due emphasis on her government’s relations with India, the country with which Bangladesh shares 2,545-mile long international border, the fifth longest land border in the world. During the Indian Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Dhaka in 2015, a bilateral trade agreement was signed allowing both Bangladesh and India transit through each other’s territories. Under this agreement Bangladeshi vehicles would be able to carry goods to Bhutan and Nepal through Indian territories while India can transport goods through Bangladesh from the mainland to its north eastern states. This will usher in a new era of regional connectivity. Ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s scheduled upcoming visit to Bangladesh, the country’s Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi has expressed optimism that the trade relations between the two countries would reach new heights in the 50th year of Bangladesh’s independence. There is also strong resolve from the two countries to further expand investment and trade relations, the Minister observed. Given the historic, cultural and economic ties between Bangladesh and India, the two countries have always been more than neighbours, sharing not only common borders and rivers, but also culture, language and heritage that was further bonded by shared experiences and sacrifices during the Liberation War in 1971. Since Sheikh Hasina-led government assumed power in 2009, relations between the two countries reached new peaks in such sectors as settling historical disputes, bilateral and regional connectivity, power and energy, trade and commerce and management of water resources. Bangladesh is playing a leading role in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) which groups together Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan in a forum for multilateral cooperation. The secretariat for this group has been hosted in Dhaka. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) signed an agreement to ensure seamless travel of transports between the borders of these countries. Based on the EU model, BBIN Agreement envisages uninterrupted transit of passengers, personnel and cargo vehicles between these countries. The bilateral ties between the two countries have been witnessing steady and amazing improvements as a result of which both the countries are benefitting immensely. The ties have reached such extraordinary heights that international relations analysts and diplomats branded it as a role model for the rest of the world especially in terms of bilateral ties between two close-door neighbours. AH

The rail communication between Chilahati of Nilphamari district and Haldibari of India has been resumed after long 55 years. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have inaugurated the rail connectivity through video conference on Thursday. This rail link was snapped during the war between Pakistan and India in 1965. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from Ganabhaban and Indian premier Narendra Modi from New Delhi joined the inaugural program through video conference. Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan was present at Chilahati. Before cancellation of the rail link in 1965, passenger and goods laden trains used to move from Darjeeling to Kolkata via Khulna using this route. As a result of starting the rail link communication, trade and commerce between Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and seven sisters states of India will increase. AH    

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit the Padma Bridge construction site Sunday to see for herself the progress of the country’s largest infrastructure project and to inaugurate the construction work of its rail link. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inspect the construction sites of the much-awaited Padma Bridge at Mawa in Mushiganj, Janzira in Shariatpur and Shibchar in Madaripur on Sunday to see for herself the progress of the mega project,” Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) sources said. Reports BSS. During the visit, the sources said, the premier will open the construction work of the rail link between Dhaka and Jashore under the ‘Padma Bridge Rail Link Construction Project.’ Upon her arrival at Mawa at 11 am, the Prime Minister will first unveil a plaque of the progress of the work of the 6.15-kilometer bridge on the Mawa side. Sheikh Hasina will later inspect the progress of the Dhaka-Mawa and Pachchar-Bhanga parts of the N-8 Highway at the Mawa end and inaugurate the construction work of the rail link (Mawa side). She will then open the permanent river bank protection work adjacent to the main river training work and visit the overall progress work of the bridge at Mawa side. The Prime Minister is scheduled to address a “Sudhi Samabesh” (civic rally) at Mawa Golchattar adjacent to Mawa Toll Plaza at 11.15 am. In the afternoon, the Prime Minister will visit the Janzira end of the bridge and first unveil the plaque of the progress work of the bridge on the Janzira side. She will later inaugurate the construction work of the rail link (Janzira side). Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, will then go to Shibchar and address a public meeting to be organized by her party at Iliyas Ahmed Chowdhury Ferry Ghat at Kathalbari in Shibchar upazila. Meanwhile, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday visited Naodoba area in Janzira ahead of the visit of the Prime Minister to Padma Bridge construction sites. The minister told journalists there that the Prime Minister was earlier scheduled to visit the Padma Bridge construction site Saturday. “But the Prime Minister will now visit the site on Sunday due to inclement weather,” BSS Shariatput correspondent quoted the minister as saying. Quader said the Prime Minister will unveil the plaques of the 60 percent progress work on both sides of the bridge. He said five spans were already installed on the Janzira side of the bridge while one was set up on Mawa side and the work on putting in five more spans there is underway. According to Railways Ministry sources, the first phase of the ‘Padma Bridge Rail Link Construction Project’ will establish rail link between Mawa and Bhanga via Janjira and Shibchar through the Padma Multipurpose Bridge that will connect Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Narail and Jashore. The Chinese government-nominated contractor China Railway Group Limited is implementing the project under China G2G system. A loan agreement was signed with Chinese Exim Bank for 2667.94 million US dollars in this regard. Under the project, 23 km ballast-less elevated viaduct rail line will be constructed. On the elevated viaduct, two platforms, one mainline and two loop lines will be constructed along with installation of elevators. The Prime Minister inaugurated the main bridge construction and river training work at Janzira in Shariatpur and Mawa in Munshiganj on December 12 in 2015. The bridge will open up a new horizon in the country’s communication system and bring a revolutionary change in the life and livelihood of nearly six crore people of 19 southern districts as it will connect them with the rest of the country including the capital, Dhaka, directly, experts said. They said it would reduce the long-time sufferings of the people of those districts, cutting their travel time by two to three hours, to go to other parts of the country. The two-tier Padma Bridge having provisions for movement of vehicles on the upper tier of the bridge and operation of train on the lower tier is being built with concrete and steel structures. The government is building the Padma Bridge, the largest infrastructure in the country, with its own fund of over Taka 30,000 crore. The work on the Padma Bridge is broadly divided into five parts – the main bridge, river training, two link roads and infrastructure (service area) construction. The bridge will have a total of 42 pillars and 41 spans. Each pillar has six piles beneath. Steel spans will be placed on the pillars. The China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Corporation is constructing the main bridge, while China’s Sinohydro Corporation was appointed for the river training work and Bangladesh’s Abdul Monem Limited was given the contract for the two approach roads and infrastructure construction. Bangladesh Army, BUET and Korea Expressway Corporation and Associates are supervising the construction of the bridge which is expected to boost the country’s trade, development and economic activities. AH

Railways Minister Mujibul Haque said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the work on the Padma Bridge rail link on September 5 next. “The Prime Minister will unveil the plaque of the project at Mawa on September 5,” he said while talking to reporters in Service Area-1 after visiting the Padma Bridge area on Saturday. Reports UNB. He also saw the progress of work to turn the Dhaka-Mawa highway into a four-lane one and toll plaza. The Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, which aims to establish rail links between Dhaka and Jashore through the Padma Multipurpose Bridge, will be implemented by June 2024 spending Tk 39,246.80 crore. Of the estimated cost, Tk 18,210.11 crore will come from the government’s own fund while the rest 21,036.69 as project assistance from China. AH