Tripura govt wants to resume Indo-Bangla connectivity projects

Following the turmoil in Bangladesh following the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina government, the Tripura government has brought up the issue of the restart of Indo-Bangla connectivity projects with the Center. These projects have been put on hold for a few months despite significant expenditure. According to a top state administration official, Tripura is interested in most of the projects, particularly the Agartala-Akhaura railway project and the operationalization of Maitri Setu over the Feni connecting Chittagong Sea port, even though the issue is primarily dependent on the two nations’ bilateral relations.

The projects in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Act of East Policy initially convinced the Indian government to use the Chittagong Sea port to establish an economic corridor with Southeast Asian nations and to capitalize on the possibilities of the northeast. “Despite significant investments in connectivity projects between Tripura and Bangladesh, the progress has come to a halt due to the unstable situation in Bangladesh, which arose after August 5 last year,” added Sushanta Chowdhury, minister of transport and tourism. With the atrocities against minorities and strained interpersonal connections growing daily, the crisis progressively worsened and could even cost Bangladeshi citizens their lives.

“Soon he will meet civil aviation minister Kinjarapu R Naidu, seeking his intervention for increasing flights to Agartala and to get direct air connectivity with all the important destinations including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, like Delhi,” Chowdhury said, expressing concern over the lack of airlines at MBB airport in Agartala.

There are currently 14 flights that carry 400 passengers each day on average to and from MBB airport, however this is not enough. Furthermore, the minister noted that the Agartala sector frequently experiences expensive airfare, which puts a strain on those who travel primarily for business, healthcare, and educational reasons.