Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that political border trade should not become a physical barrier. She said, "We are in a region that has become conservative in terms of launching and where inter-regional trade is far below its potential."
I believe that political constraints should not become a physical barrier to trade. The Prime Minister made the remarks while inaugurating the Friendship Bridge over the Feni River on the Bangladesh-India border on Tuesday afternoon.
The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi was virtually involved at the time. The Prime Minister hoped that the 1.9-kilometer Friendship Bridge would connect India's Tripura with Ramgarh in Bangladesh. He hoped that the Friendship Bridge would facilitate Bangladesh's trade not only with India but also with Nepal and Bhutan. No, it will also help Bangladesh to trade comfortably with Nepal and Bhutan. The Prime Minister said, "Undoubtedly, this is a historic moment. We are creating a new era in South Asia by providing connectivity to India."
I think the Friendship Bridge will not only build bridges between our two countries, but also play an important role in trade, trade and economic development. She said this is a time when we celebrate the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the golden jubilee of Bangladesh independence Celebrating the 50th year of diplomatic relations, the Prime Minister said the Feni Friendship Bridge is expected to significantly improve the socio-economic conditions of the people of Tripura and the surrounding northeastern states of India.
We hope that Maitri will also contribute to the improvement of livelihood of Bangladeshis living in the vicinity of the bridge. Noting the geographical location as well as the growth trajectory has made Bangladesh a very attractive neighbor in South Asia, Sheikh Hasina said, She said Bangladesh is ready to maximize its location as a hub of connectivity between South and Southeast Asia.
We believe that the development of cross-border transport system with India is an important step in this regard and will play an important role in regional trade.
Since then, the Bangladesh government has been providing all necessary assistance to the Indian side in the construction of the bridge, said Sheikh Hasina. She said, "Today, after 10 years, this bridge is a reality." This bridge will be a trade lifeline for North-East India.
Bangladesh has already allowed India to use Chittagong and Mongla ports for transporting goods. With the launch of the Feni Bridge, the landlocked states of West Bengal and Northeast India will be able to transport goods through Bangladesh. Earlier, the nearest seaport to Agartala was Kolkata, 1,600 km away.
At present, the nearest seaport of Bangladesh through Agartala, Chittagong Port is less than 100 kilometers away.
I wish success to the Feni Friendship Bridge. During this time, Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of several infrastructure projects, including the Tripura subroom, via video conference.
