Bangladesh and India are likely to sign an MoU for a new waterway to connect Gomati river in Tripura and Meghna river in Bangladesh during the four-day trip of Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina beginning from Thursday, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said.
During her visit, Hasina will meet her Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss a wide range of bilateral issues.
In the meantime, the Tripura chief minister will leave for New Delhi on Thursday to meet the Bangladesh prime minister, news agency PTI quoted officials as saying.
If the MoU is signed by the premiers a new protocol route between Bangladesh and India will be opened by connecting Gomati and Meghna rivers. It would facilitate the carriage of goods from Ashuganj port on Meghna river in Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh to Sonamura in Sipahijala district of Tripura, PTI quoted Deb as saying.
Movement of vessels on Gomati river for providing waterway connectivity to Tripura would be possible only after the inclusion of the stretch between Sonamura in Tripura's Sepahijala district and Daudkandi in Comilla district of Bangladesh as part of the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route, the Tripura chief minister said.
Deb had in June sought the permission of the shipping ministry through an official letter for construction of a temporary jetty on Gomati river and declaration of the stretch of it from Sonamura in Tripura's Sepahijala district to Daudkandi in Comilla district of Bangladesh as waterway connectivity of the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route.
At present ships and steamers ply from Haldia in West Bengal to Daudkandi in Bangladesh, which is only 80 km from Tripura's Sonamura sub-division in Sepahijala district.
"Chittagong port was constructed for better transportation in the entire eastern region. But due to partition of the country, there is no access of us (India) to the port. The issue will be discussed in today's meeting," Deb said.
This meeting will bear fruits for Tripura. The state will get the maximum benefit if the access to Chittagong port is given. Not only Tripura the entire northeastern region will be benefitted if the access to the port can be obtained, he added.
Chittagong port is just 70 km from Sabroom, a town near the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura's South district and is well connected to Agartala by roads and railways now.