Bangladesh to borrow $33.8m from India to upgrade Ashuganj-Akhaura Road
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
FHM Humayan Kabir
Bangladesh would borrow US$33.8 million from India to upgrade Ashuganj to Akhaura Road to facilitate transportation of goods of the big neighbour to its impoverished seven northeastern states, officials said Monday.
Planning commission officials said the government's highest project approval body -- ECNEC -- is likely to endorse the much-talked-about highways renovation scheme today to facilitate transportation of Indian goods.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) would upgrade the existing 35.21 kilometres Sarail (near Ashuganj river port) to Akhaura linking national highways at a cost of Tk 2.33 billion by June 2013.
Following a bilateral talk between the two premiers of Bangladesh and India in January this year, Delhi agreed to lend one billion US dollar loan to Dhaka, most of which would be utilised to facilitate transit and transshipment to India, officials said.
The government has already earmarked 14 projects, to be implemented at a cost of over US$600 million out of the US$ one billion loan from the Indian government.
The RHD would upgrade the existing 35.21 kilometres Sarail-Brahmanbaria-Sultanpur-Chinyar-Akhaura-Senarbadi land-port road for transportation of Indian goods to the impoverished seven sisters.
Renovation and development of the Sarail (close to Ashuganj river port)-Akhaura road will begin shortly to carry ODCs (over dimensional cargoes) of power generation equipment for the upcoming 740-megawatt power project in Tripura.
Bangladesh has agreed in principle to allow India to use its designated waterways and road to transport heavy machinery for the Palatana power project in Tripura, about 60 kilometres from Agartala, the state capital.
The Shipping Ministry of Bangladesh has also started to develop the navigability in the Ashuganj river port, located in the Meghna river delta, which ultimately will become the main hub of transporting Indian goods.
According to the plan, Indian products will be transported through the new route of Kolkata's Holdia port to Raimongal-Mongla-Kaukhali-Barisal-Hizla-Chandpur-Narayangang-Bhoirabbazar-Ashuganj, the ministry officials said.
From Ashuganj, goods would be carried by Bangladesh trucks and tractor-trailers to the Akhaura-Agartala border, they said.
The ONGC will now ship ODCs from the Haldia port in West Bengal to Ashuganj of Bangladesh by waterway and from there to Palatana in Tripura state through the Ashuganj-Akhaura road.
Bangladesh would borrow US$33.8 million from India to upgrade Ashuganj to Akhaura Road to facilitate transportation of goods of the big neighbour to its impoverished seven northeastern states, officials said Monday.
Planning commission officials said the government's highest project approval body -- ECNEC -- is likely to endorse the much-talked-about highways renovation scheme today to facilitate transportation of Indian goods.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) would upgrade the existing 35.21 kilometres Sarail (near Ashuganj river port) to Akhaura linking national highways at a cost of Tk 2.33 billion by June 2013.
Following a bilateral talk between the two premiers of Bangladesh and India in January this year, Delhi agreed to lend one billion US dollar loan to Dhaka, most of which would be utilised to facilitate transit and transshipment to India, officials said.
The government has already earmarked 14 projects, to be implemented at a cost of over US$600 million out of the US$ one billion loan from the Indian government.
The RHD would upgrade the existing 35.21 kilometres Sarail-Brahmanbaria-Sultanpur-Chinyar-Akhaura-Senarbadi land-port road for transportation of Indian goods to the impoverished seven sisters.
Renovation and development of the Sarail (close to Ashuganj river port)-Akhaura road will begin shortly to carry ODCs (over dimensional cargoes) of power generation equipment for the upcoming 740-megawatt power project in Tripura.
Bangladesh has agreed in principle to allow India to use its designated waterways and road to transport heavy machinery for the Palatana power project in Tripura, about 60 kilometres from Agartala, the state capital.
The Shipping Ministry of Bangladesh has also started to develop the navigability in the Ashuganj river port, located in the Meghna river delta, which ultimately will become the main hub of transporting Indian goods.
According to the plan, Indian products will be transported through the new route of Kolkata's Holdia port to Raimongal-Mongla-Kaukhali-Barisal-Hizla-Chandpur-Narayangang-Bhoirabbazar-Ashuganj, the ministry officials said.
From Ashuganj, goods would be carried by Bangladesh trucks and tractor-trailers to the Akhaura-Agartala border, they said.
The ONGC will now ship ODCs from the Haldia port in West Bengal to Ashuganj of Bangladesh by waterway and from there to Palatana in Tripura state through the Ashuganj-Akhaura road.