Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates 'Maitri Setu' connecting India and Bangladesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the Maitri Setu on the Feni River connecting India and Bangladesh will help improve connectivity and enhance economic opportunities for people of both countries.

Virtually inaugurating the Maitri Setu on Feni River connecting Sabroom in South Tripura to Ramgarh in Bangladesh on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi said that the entire region is being developed as a trade corridor between India and Bangladesh. He said that the bridge will not only strengthen connectivity between the two countries but also the friendship between them.

PM Modi in a tweet today said, "Furthering the growth trajectory of Tripura."

Prime Minister Modi said that in the last few years several projects of connecting the two countries by rail, road and waterways have been implemented. The Maitri Setu will further strengthen it. Highlighting the importance of the Maitri Setu, Prime Minister Modi said that the Setu will help improve people to people ties as well as open new opportunities for tourism and trade in the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, Maitri Setu will not only boost the production of various bamboo products but will also widen the pineapple and agarbatti business in Agartala. He said, with the opening of the Feni Bridge, Agartala will become the first Indian city closest to an International Sea Port. Mr Modi said, during his visit to Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and he together laid the foundation stone of the bridge connecting Tripura directly with Bangladesh.

He said that along with Tripura, it will also benefit Assam, Mizoram and Manipur which will get connected with Bangladesh and other countries of Southeast Asia. Prime Minister Modi said that with the inauguration of the Maitri Setu, Agartala has become the closest city of India to the International seaport. Prime Minister Modi said that after the development of the facilities, the dependence of North East on road connectivity alone for transportation and supply will be reduced as they will be directly connected through the Chittagong port in Bangladesh and inland waterways.

In her recorded message on this occasion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh said that political barriers should not become physical trade barriers. She said Maitri Setu will serve as the lifeline of people.

Besides, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of NH-208 connecting the Unakoti district headquarters at Kailashahar with the Khowai district headquarters. It will provide an alternative route to the NH-44. The 80 Km NH 208 project has been taken up by the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited with a project cost of Rs 1,078 crore.

PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for setting up an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Sabroom. It will help ease the movement of goods and passengers between the two countries provide new market opportunities for products of North-East states and assist the seamless movement of passengers to and from India and Bangladesh. The project will be constructed by the Land Port Authority of India with an estimated cost of Rs 232 crore.