Bangladesh turmoil casts shadow on key connectivity projects in Tripura

The sudden collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh has cast a shadow on key connectivity and trade projects in Tripura, which is likely to have far-reaching implications on the northeastern state's growth engine in the year ahead.

Dark clouds of uncertainty loom large on the fate of 'Maitri Setu' (friendship bridge), built over River Feni in South Tripura's Sabroom sub-division, despite its joint inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his the then Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, in March 2021.

The 1.9-km-long bridge, constructed at a cost of Rs 133 crore, promises a shorter and more economical alternate connectivity between the Northeast and Kolkata via Chittagong and Mongla ports in Bangladesh with Sabroom as a gateway to the Southeast Asian nations.

However, barely days before passenger movement between India and Bangladesh through the bridge was scheduled to be flagged off, a deadly student uprising in August threw the country into disarray and forced Prime Minister Hasina to flee, leaving the fate of the key infrastructure project in limbo.

And not just the Maitri Setu, the Rs 230-crore Integrated Check Post (ICP) strategically located at Sabroom in the southernmost tip of the border state is yet to be made functional due to the political turbulence on the other side of the fence.

Another strategic connectivity project, the Agartala-Akhaura rail link, which was inaugurated by Modi and Hasina in November 2023, remains a non-starter in the wake of the current political instability in Bangladesh.

The 15-km critical rail link, built at a cost of Rs 972 crore and is supposed to connect Agartala with Kolkata via Bangladesh, is yet to be made operational. If the link is established, the distance between Agartala and Kolkata will be reduced from 1,559 km (via Guwahati) to 500 km (via Bangladesh), curtailing travel time from the current 31 hours to 10-12 hours.

The viability of the first-ever Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which is coming up in Sabroom at a cost of Rs 635, also remains doubtful due to the forceful regime change in Dhaka.

"Things have changed in Tripura post August 5 (when Hasina resigned and fled Bangladesh). Local economies have been badly affected. Limited trade, minimal truckloads of exchange, downsizing of the hospitality sector, etc. are visible in the short run," noted economist Indranil Bhowmik told PTI.

"Nonetheless, optimism stands in the long run, particularly on the upcoming Matarbari Deep Sea Port in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar which is being promoted through Japanese cooperation. The multiplier linkages of this project will necessitate Bangladesh to keep good relations with India for ensuring economic sustainability," he added.

Tripura also experienced a major tragedy in the worst-ever floods in decades that claimed 38 lives and caused extensive damage to physical infrastructure as well as properties and crops in August.

The loss suffered by the state on account of the floods stood at an estimated Rs 15,000 crore. Hundreds continue to grapple with their losses as the Centre is yet to release special funds for the rehabilitation of the affected people. However, the state declared a special package of Rs 564 crore in aid of the flood victims.

Tripura's long tradition of communal harmony suffered a dent when it witnessed two major incidents of violence in which two people were killed and over a hundred were rendered homeless.

On July 12 and 13, some 70 shops and houses were set ablaze by a group of people at Gandatwisa in Dhalai district following the death of a tribal youth.

Even before the dust of the Gandatwisa incident had settled, another clash broke out at Kadamtala in North Tripura district just ahead of the Durga Puja on October 6. A Muslim trader was shot dead by the police, triggering communal tension in the northeastern state.

Tripura hogged national headlines yet again in early December after an unruly group of Hindu right-wing activists breached the security cordon and barged into the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala vandalising property and removing the country's national flag, to protest alleged atrocities on minorities in the neighbouring nation.

While Tripura Police arrested seven people in connection with the incident and suspended three police officers, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued an apology for 'the premises breach' at the Bangladesh mission, terming it "deeply regrettable".

In order to address the issues faced by indigenous people, the Centre and the state government signed an accord with newly emerged influential tribal party, Tipra Motha, just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The northeastern state, which had experienced bloody insurgency for several decades, also witnessed the mass surrender of hundreds of militants of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), prompting Chief Minister Manik Saha to proclaim the state as "insurgent-free".