India and Bangladesh signed seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on September 6 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to further strengthen bilateral relations.
These agreements were signed following delegation-level discussions at the Hyderabad House on connectivity, energy, water resources, trade, border management, security, and development partnership.
Later, PM Modi and Bangladeshi PM Hasina witnessed the signing of seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in the critical areas of water resources, capacity building, railway, science and technology.
Agreements signed between India and Bangladesh
An agreement between the Government of India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Government of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Water Resources to withdraw water from the common border river Kushiyara.
MoU between the Government of India’s Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) and the Government of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Railways on the training of Bangladesh Railway personnel in India.
MoU between the Government of India’s Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) and the Government of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Railways on collaboration in IT systems such as FOIS and other IT applications for Bangladesh Railway.
MoU between the National Judicial Academy of India and the Supreme Court of Bangladesh on a Training and Capacity Building Programme for Bangladesh Judicial Officers in India.
MoU on Scientific and Technological Cooperation between India’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Bangladesh’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR).
MoU on Space Technology Cooperation Prasar Bharti and Bangladesh Television (BTV) signed an agreement on cooperation in broadcasting.
List of projects unveiled
The list of projects unveiled included Unit I of the Maitree power plant.
1320 (660×2) MW supercritical coal-fired thermal power plant at Rampal, Khulna is being set up at an estimated cost of approximately USD 2 billion with USD 1.6 billion as Indian Development Assistance under the Concessional Financing Scheme.
The Rupsha bridge was a significant project that was inaugurated. The 5.13 km Rupsha rail bridge is an important component of the 64.7 km Khulna-Mongla Port single track broad gauge rail project, which connects Mongla Port with Khulna for the first time by rail, and then to Central and North Bangladesh, as well as the India border at Petrapole and Gede in West Bengal.
Another project for the supply of road construction equipment and machinery was announced. The project entails supplying the Bangladesh Road and Highways Department with 25 packages of road maintenance and construction equipment and machinery.
During the delegation-level talks, a railway line link between Khulna and Darshana was also unveiled.
The project is an upgrade of existing infrastructure (doubling of Broad Gauge) linking the current cross-border rail link at Gede-Darshana to Khulna, thereby augmenting rail connections between the two countries, particularly to Dhaka, but also, in the future, to Mongla Port. The project is expected to cost USD 312.48 million.
The Parbatipur-Kaunia railway line was also inaugurated by India’s and Bangladesh’s respective heads of state.
The project to convert the existing Metre Gauge line to a Dual Gauge line is estimated to cost USD 120.41 million. The project will improve bilateral rail connectivity by connecting the existing cross-border rail between Birol (Bangladesh) and Radhikapur (West Bengal).
