India plans rail route through Bangladesh to connect two states
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The government of India plans the establishment of a rail route to connect its northeastern state of Meghalaya with the rest of the country using the territory of Bangladesh.
As per the plan, the rail route will enter Bangladesh from Hilli and move through places like Ghoraghat, Palashbari and Gaibandha in northern stretches of Bangladesh, move through Jamuna (as the Brahmaputra is known in Bangladesh) and connect Mahendraganj of Tura in Meghalaya, according to telegraphindia.com.
The report says there is a demand for the railway link in Meghalaya as currently, one has to travel around 600km to reach Tura from South Dinajpur. But if this route is opened, the distance will come down to 120km.
The Joint Movement Committee for Corridor (JMCC), an apolitical body based in Meghalaya, has been flagging the demand for a rail route to connect Hilli and Tura.
Naba Kumar Das, who heads the JMCC, “The rail route is important for strategic and economic reasons. It seems that the Centre has finally accepted our demand.”
He said the external affairs ministry of India carried out a feasibility survey of the proposed route in 2017 and Meghalaya railway authorities recently sent a proposal to the central railway board on it.
Sources at the relevant zone of India railway said around Rs 70 billion would be required for the project, which includes a 10km bridge over Jamuna and an overbridge in Hilli.
The sources said they are waiting for instructions from the central ministry.
Naba Kumar Das, along with some other members of the JMCC, met a delegation of Bangladesh at Zero Point in Hilli recently to discuss the proposed railway project.
“We asked them to approach the Prime Minister of Bangladesh (Sheikh Hasina) so that we can meet her next month. We want to request her to see that all necessary help is extended by the Bangladesh government as the route will pass through Bangladesh’s land,” he said.
As of now, there is only one route that connects the Northeast with the rest of India.