NEW DELHI, July 31: On the eve of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India, trial runs between Kolkata-Chattogram-Mongla ports for India-Bangladesh trade has begun with the first vessel from Kolkata is expected to reach Mongla on August 5 carrying 16 tonnes of iron pipes in a container for Meghalaya using the Tamabil-Dawki border points .
It also carries 8.5 tonnes of pre-foam in another container for Assam using the Birbirbazaar-Srimantpur border points.
This exercise will create cheaper and alternative routes for India to reach its Northeast region while at the same time carrying export-import containers for Bangladesh, official sources said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hasina are expected to jointly inaugurate the 1,320 MegaWatt Maitree Super Thermal Power Station during the visit in the first week of September.
Dubbed as Bangladesh’s largest power plant, the coal-fired station is being set up by Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Limited, a 50:50 joint venture between India’s NTPC and Bangladesh Power Development Board and with a cost of USD 1.5 billion.
Being a close ally of India, the Modi government has also allowed export of much-required wheat to Bangladesh through Hili Land Port in Dinajpur as a result of which the price of wheat has gone down, easing inflation concerns of Dhaka.
India supplies nearly 66 per cent wheat to Bangladesh, while its imports from Ukraine, some 15 per cent every year, have been hit by the war with Russia.
