Transit or transshipment goods from Chittagong port had to cover a distance of 215 km to reach India’s Tripura by road. The distance will be reduced by at least 100 km after the Ramgarh Maitri Bridge is opened over the Feni river. As a result, the businessmen of Bangladesh and India will get the opportunity to transport import-export goods at cost. Passenger transport facilities will also be ensured. Before that, it is necessary to remove the trade balance between the two countries and build infrastructure including customs stations at both ends of the bridge.
Amirul Haque, managing director of Sea Com Group, said, “Opening a bridge means opening the doors of new possibilities.” Ramgarh Maitri Setu is an example of that. As a result, goods can be transported from Chittagong Port to the seven states of North Eastern India in less time. We can export products in less time. But it will not be necessary to open bridges and roads. Only if the trade imbalance between the two countries can be removed, the two countries will get real benefits.
Traders say that transit goods from Chittagong used to reach Agartala in India’s Tripura state through Akhaura land port. The first shipment traveled 215 km to reach there in July 2020. After the inauguration of the Bangladesh-India friendship bridge over the Feni river on Tuesday, it will be possible to reach Subroom of Tripura state by crossing only 100 km. In other words, the road distance will be reduced by 115 km to reach Satraj of India when this new Maitri Setu is launched. It will facilitate the export of products to seven states; Import can also be done quickly. At the same time, India will also be able to take goods to their own cities quickly through Chittagong port.
There is a 4000 km land border between Bangladesh and India. It is the only bridge over the Feni River that connects the two countries by road. Businessmen say that the two neighboring countries will benefit commercially through this friendship bridge. It is not only the transportation of goods; Bangladeshi passengers traveling for medical treatment will also benefit.
Hafizur Rahman, Supervising Engineer of Chittagong Roads and Public Paths Department, said, "After the bridge is opened, the time to reach goods from Chittagong port will reduce a lot. Earlier Chittagong-Dhaka four-lane highway passed through Akhaura, but now using the same highway, it will be possible to reach directly through Ramgarh in Khagrachari in much less time.
He says that we are constructing three alternative roads even before the Ramgarh Bridge is launched. Among these, the biggest project is the Ramgarh-Baraiyarhat road worth Tk 845 crore. And going to Ramgarh through Hathazari-Fatikchari road is getting easier; This road will be completed in December. At the same time, 80 percent of the work on Phatikchari Baroyarhat road has been completed. So if these projects are launched, not only transit; Due to road connectivity, the image of the entire region will change drastically.
It is reported that India has also constructed an integrated check post at the Sabrum end of Tripura before the Bangladesh-India friendship bridge over the Feni river. But Bangladesh government has announced land port at Ramgarh end but no infrastructure construction has started till now. As a result, even if the bridge is opened, it is not yet certain how the goods or passenger movement of the two countries will start.
The declared Ramgarh land port will be supervised by the Chittagong Customs Excise and VAT Commissionerate. When asked about their preparation, Customs Commissioner Akbar Hossain said, "The government has announced it as a land port. Manpower, infrastructure construction is also planned. But it is not possible to say when it will be completed. But till then it will be supervised from Khagrachari VAT office.
1600 kilometers to reach Agartala from Kolkata; Basically, seven states of India want to use Chittagong port to take goods to reduce the cost of transportation of huge goods. In July 2020, a consignment of transit goods from Chittagong port reached Agartala in Tripura through Akhaura land port. The shipment reaches Chittagong port from Calcutta by ship; From there he went to Agartala by road for the first time. That shipment was experimental. New possibilities will open after the Ramgarh Bridge becomes operational.
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