Dhaka: Bangladesh has given the clearance for construction of a concrete bridge over river Feni to connect India’s landblocked northeast with Bangladeh as the two countries are now closing their distances. 

The construction of the bridge will be facilitating carrying goods from Feni to South Tripura district of India.

The bridge would connect Sabroom subdivision of Tripura with Ramgarh upazila of Feni District in Bangladesh.

This bridge will be built near the Zero line of the border of both the countries.

Sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) told BanglaNews that this clearance for the bridge is an after-effect of the joint communiqué signed by PM Sheikh Hasina and Indian premier Dr. Manmohan Singh on January this year.

In the communiqué Bangladesh has agreed to give India the facility of using Chittagong sea-port. By using this port it is easy and cost-effective to carry goods to and from the north-eastern part of India. Through port to first step to India Feni river is a problem. So India has taken initiative to build a bridge over the Feni river.

On completion, the bridge would facilitate transportation of commodities from Chittagong port, 75 kms from Sabroom, to north-eastern India.

During the visit of Sheikh Hasina, the two governments also decided to introduce border trade between Sabroom (Tripura) and Ramgarh (Feni).     

Sources said when Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar came to Dhaka last month to attend Bangladesh Independence Day celebration, he took up the matter of construction of the bridge with the Bangladesh Premier.

BDST: 1615, April 17, 2010