Mumbai:
India has reportedly paused railway tasks in Bangladesh, which have been supposed to offer connectivity to northeast states by means of Bangladesh and is planning various routes to make sure stability and strategic safety within the area. The choice has been attributed to political turmoil and the protection of labour in Bangladesh. The transfer comes amid worries concerning the scenario within the neighbouring nation, particularly with anti-India voices being emboldened below the present regime, with requires nearer ties to Pakistan and China.
Main tasks like Akhaura-Agartala Rail Hyperlink, which is already below development, and Khulna-Mongla Rail Hyperlink are more likely to be affected by the choice whilst Bangladesh is pivoting in the direction of China and Pakistan at the price of its present relationship with India which has seen good cooperation with regards to regional connectivity, particularly by means of railways and waterways. The Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur rail growth is one other venture that might be affected by this transfer. Consultants recommend these tasks would value round Rs 5,000 crore. Sources say 5 different deliberate tasks have additionally been placed on maintain.
India-Bangladesh ties took an enormous hit after Bangladesh’s interim authorities’s Chief Advisor, Md Yunus, commented on the northeast and invited China to increase within the area. Since then, India has withdrawn transhipment rights for Bangladesh, and Dhaka has halted the import of yarn from India. Rail connectivity tasks have been actively pushed by India to enhance regional connectivity, and the cooperation between the 2 international locations that noticed progress in the previous couple of years has suffered as a result of present instability and anti-India statements, together with calling for Chinese language growth within the area.
The Agartala-Akhaura Railway Hyperlink
In November 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his then Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina collectively inaugurated three tasks by way of digital mode, together with a key rail hyperlink between Tripura’s Nischintapur and Gangasagar in Bangladesh. The cross-border rail venture close to Tripura’s capital, Agartala, and Akhaura in Bangladesh was anticipated to spice up cross-border commerce and considerably scale back the journey time between Agartala and Kolkata by way of Dhaka when absolutely operational. When absolutely accomplished, the cross-border rail hyperlink was to chop the journey time from Kolkata to Agartala from 36 hours to 12 hours and keep away from the detour by means of the Siliguri Hall. At present, all trains to the northeastern states go by means of the slim hall also called the Rooster’s Neck.
The Khulna-Mongla Rail Hyperlink
The Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line Venture has been carried out below the Authorities of India’s concessional Line of Credit score with a complete venture value of $388.92 million. The venture entails the development of roughly 65 km of broad-gauge rail route between Mongla Port and the present rail community in Khulna. With this, Mongla, the second largest port of Bangladesh, is linked with the broad-gauge railway community. In 2024, India obtained the operational rights to a terminal at Bangladesh’s Mongla port, which has important implications for regional cooperation and transport. India presently has transhipment entry to each Chittagong and Mongla ports, for motion of products from India to the northeastern states by bypassing the detour by means of the rooster’s neck hall.
The Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur Rail Growth Venture
This bold venture, being constructed with assist from India, was speculated to be accomplished by 2027, however it has seen huge delays. It was geared toward growing connectivity and capability in central Bangladesh, significantly round Dhaka.
Bangladesh had sought further funding for this venture amidst value overruns because of sure points. Bodily work on the venture may begin solely in February 2019, primarily because of complexities over the design and tendering course of, and solely round half the work has been accomplished on the venture.
Ties Take One other Hit
India is significantly invested within the ongoing rail tasks in Bangladesh, however current developments have led many consultants to query whether or not, within the present scenario, India can proceed the extent of engagement it had achieved in the previous couple of years. With Bangladesh pivoting in the direction of China and Pakistan, observers of the India-Bangladesh relationship are involved that India may face challenges in implementing tasks which might be constructed on bilateral cooperation and curiosity. However, throughout Md Yunus’s current go to to China and talks with the Chinese language President, the potential of China investing in railway infrastructure in Bangladesh was mentioned. Sources say China plans to push its investments in infrastructure in Bangladesh below its Belt and Street Initiative. Chinese language investments in roads and railways may value US$ 4.45 billion for roads, railways, and ports.
Does India Have Different Choices?
Securing the northeast by means of alternate connectivity routes stays considered one of India’s key challenges, however with the fast growth of railways within the northeast, making certain that different routes can be found throughout a crucial situation is one thing that safety consultants are already discussing. As talked about, presently all highway and rail routes to the northeastern states go by means of the Rooster’s Neck or Siliguri Hall, which at its narrowest is barely about 22km huge, and is taken into account a crucial space from a safety perspective. Actively specializing in creating railways by means of Nepal and Bhutan may very well be one of many methods to develop alternate routes, however there are challenges right here, too. But when the present scenario continues in Bangladesh, a rethink must be achieved, consultants from the area say.
India and Bangladesh haven’t commented on these developments formally, however officers in each India and Bangladesh agree that over the previous couple of months the engagement with Bangladesh, throughout sectors, has seen a slowdown that makes it difficult to push by means of with any bi-lateral venture, particularly these like railways which require numerous coordination. Bangladesh, sources say, has not made a lot effort to assuage the considerations of India on a number of points which were flagged by India. For now, a pause appears to be the one possibility, in response to sources conversant in the developments.
Bangladesh claims it has stabilised the scenario, however the developments haven’t impressed confidence a few return to normalcy.
