PM’s Dhaka visit to yield road, port connectivity

Pacts to share power generated in Northeastern States likely

India and Bangladesh will sign a series of agreements during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dhaka in June, ushering in plans for road, rail and port connectivity and energy tie-ups. Mr. Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, will flag off a Kolkata-Dhaka-Tripura bus service.

The two countries are in talks to set up bus links from Dhaka to Shillong and Guwahati, and may sign energy pacts to share power generated in the northeastern States, officials told The Hindu .

“The main purpose is to save people time and money,” Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali said, referring to the fact that at present, connectivity to Northeast India is through the narrow Siliguri corridor or “chicken’s neck.”

“We need full understanding and cooperation for this, and we do hope PM Modi’s visit will pave the way,” the High Commissioner said, speaking to members of the Indian Association for Foreign Affairs Correspondents ahead of Mr. Modi’s visit to Dhaka, expected to be for two days between June 6 and 10.

On whether India could benefit from links to the Chittagong port as well, Mr. Ali said that would depend on India restoring full railway links.

Dismissing concerns about China, which had reportedly decided to invest in the Pyra deep-sea port project, as “seeing ghosts in the neighbourhood”, the High Commissioner said Bangladesh wanted a “consortium of countries to invest in, and benefit from, the deep-sea port”.

India and Bangladesh should move to bridge the “suspicion gap” and put inter-regional connectivity first, Mr. Ali said.

The High Commissioner complimented the government for clearing the land boundary-related constitutional amendment in Parliament, so that Mr. Modi can sign the agreement in Dhaka.