B'desh not only restored but is also expanding pre-1965 rail connections with India

Agartala: Bangladesh's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam stated that the country is not only improving its rail connections with India, which were cut off during the India-Pakistan conflict in 1965 but also expanding them.

The visiting Bangladeshi minister stated that his country would like to make significant changes in terms of connectivity with India while speaking at a conclave here.

"We would almost achieve to restore the pre-1965 railway links on priority basis and the connectivity between the two counties are being further expanded," he said, adding that gas pipelines are also being laid between the two countries.

Alam said that Bangladesh has been engaged with India in security cooperation too.

Referring to his discussion with India's DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) Minister G. Kishan Reddy, said that the Bangladesh government wants to hold a summit with the presence of Chief Ministers and top officials of eight northeastern states in Dhaka to discuss and to finalise some strategies to further boost the trade and economy between his country and the NE region.

Alam was addressing the 3rd India-Japan Intellectual Conclave on the theme of "North East India, Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal in the Indo-Pacific: Building Partnerships - The Way Forward".

The railway network of India and Bangladesh are mostly inherited from the British era. After the Partition in 1947, seven rail links were operational between India and the then East Pakistan (up to 1965). At present, there are four operational rail links: Petrapole (India)-Benapole (Bangladesh), Gede (India)-Darshana (Bangladesh), Singhabad (India)-Rohanpur (Bangladesh), and Radhikapur (India)-Birol (Bangladesh).

The Haldibari-Chilahati is the fifth such rail route revived while the Agartala (India)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) new railway project is now under construction and, according to the Bangladesh minister, is likely to be completed this year.

Addressing the conclave, Minister of State for External Affairs Raj Kumar Ranjan Singh said that only through Tripura goods worth Rs 650 crore were imported from Bangladesh and various commodities valued at Rs 200 crore exported to the neighbouring country.

Singh said that in the years to come, India-Bangladesh economic partnership would be further strengthened and widened for the mutual benefit of the two close neighbours.

"The Indian government while further strengthening friendship with Bangladesh stressed on three 'Cs' -- connectivity, commerce and cultural ties. The Indian government has also undertaken projects to strengthen connectivities between the northeastern region of India and South-East Asian countries."

India's mantra is to ensure security and growth for all, he said.

The Shillong-based "Asian Confluence" think tank is organising the two-day conclave that began on Tuesday.

With inputs from IANS