Agartala: As many as three projects worth over Rs 1,300 crores in Tripura with Bangladesh have been halted due to the ongoing political situation in the neighbouring country. The projects include the Maitri Setu, an Integrated Check Post (ICP) in the South district and the Agartala-Akhaura Railway Link in Nischintapur of the West Tripura district.
The Maitri Setu bridge is 1.9 kilometres long and connects Sabroom in Tripura with Ramgarh in Bangladesh. The bridge has been constructed over the Feni River, which acts as a boundary between India (in Tripura) and Bangladesh. Tripura shares an approximately 856 km-long international border with Bangladesh.
The construction was undertaken by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd at a project cost of Rs 133 crores. The foundation stone for setting up an Integrated Check Post at Sabroom was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9, 2021.
This ICP is expected to ease the movement of goods and passengers between the two countries, provide new market opportunities for products from North Eastern states and assist in the seamless movement of passengers. The project is being undertaken by the Land Ports Authority of India at an estimated cost of Rs 232 crores. 
The Agartala–Akhaura railway link is a project of immense national importance. Construction of its Indian portion is being implemented by the Ministry of Railways through Indian Railway Construction Company Limited (IRCON) and funded by the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (MDoNER).
Construction of the Bangladesh portion is being implemented by Bangladesh Railways and funded by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The alignment of the project spans 5.46 km in India and 6.78 km in Bangladesh. The total project cost is Rs 972.52 crores for both the Indian and Bangladeshi portions.
Speaking about the issue, Tripura Cabinet Spokesperson Sushanta Chowdhury said that the Tripura government is concerned about the ongoing projects and the present situation in the neighbouring country.
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Sushanta Chowdhury, who is also the Minister of Transport and Tourism, said that the central government is only waiting for the situation to stabilize so that the projects can restart immediately.
“We are also concerned about the situation in Bangladesh because the Agartala-Akhaura Railway Link, a project worth almost Rs 1,000 crores, has stopped. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina virtually inaugurated these projects. While the Indian portion of the work is complete, the Bangladesh portion is still pending. It was expected that within four months, the project would be fully operational and trade and passenger movement between both countries would commence, benefiting both nations. The Special Economic Zone and Maitri Setu projects are also pending,” Sushanta Chowdhury said.
He further mentioned that the process for starting air connectivity between Agartala and Chittagong in Bangladesh has been delayed.
“The situation in Bangladesh has become the main issue for us. The attacks on minorities cannot be accepted. We are hopeful that good days will come soon and things will change. If these projects start, people from both countries will benefit, but for now, both nations are affected. I believe the Indian Government is keeping a close eye on the situation,” he added.
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