AGARTALA:
Bangladesh Minister of Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Hasan Mahmud, on February 23, informed that the ₹980 crore railway line project between Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh is nearing completion and once that is done, not just Tripura, but the entire Northeast will be benefitted.
“The work of Agartala-Akhura Railway line will be completed soon. The new medium of connectivity will not only boost the trade and economy of Tripura, but will also benefit Bangladesh and other Northeastern states. Earlier, during export and import, we had to depend on the roadways but with the railway link a new era of connectivity dawns between the two countries,” said the Bangladesh minister, who is in Agartala to inaugurate a two-day film festival titled, “2nd Bangladesh Cholo Chitro Utsav”.
Mahmud also expressed gratitude towards the people of Tripura for contribution in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
“Many people of Tripura have participated in the Liberation War and I feel grateful to them for their contribution to our country. We are from two countries, but we have no differences. Already the bilateral relationship of both the county under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached a new height,” he said, adding that Tripura had opened the door for the refugees during the war. He also lauded chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb for the developmental work the government has taken up in the state.
Deb, who was also present in the event, said that because of the steps taken by both the prime ministers, the door to the Northeast today is now opened.
“Today, the doors of the Northeast are open and now, Tripura has become a trade corridor to the Northeast. Due to the sincere efforts of the two prime ministers, the long cordial relationship is now reflected in the cultural and commercial development of the state. Geographical boundaries can never be an obstacle in bilateral relationships,” the chief minister said.
During the event, the Information and Cultural Affairs Minister of Tripura, Sushanta Chowdhury said that the government would soon set up a film institute with the help of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in the state and over Rs 5 crore would be spent in the project.
Well-known Bangladesh actors and artistes, Ferdous Ahmed, Apu Biswas, singer Momtaz Begum, who is also an MP of Bangladesh, Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Agartala Arif Mohammad, and other officials also attended the event.