Bangladesh, India sign 7 MoUs including water sharing of Kushiyara river

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Published on September 6, 2022
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Bangladesh and India on Tuesday signed seven Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) demonstrating cooperation in a number of areas including water sharing of the Kushiyara River.

One of the signed MoUs is the withdrawal of 153 cusec water from the Kushiyara River by Bangladesh under the upper Surma-Kushiyara project, Sylhet via Rahimpur

Another MoU was signed between Scientific Cooperation between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India and the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR).

Other signed MoUs between the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, India and the Supreme Court of Bangladesh

Two MoUs were signed between the Ministry of Railways, India and Bangladesh Railway for the training of Bangladesh Railway staff at the training Institutes of Indian Railway and between the Ministry of Railways, India and Bangladesh Railway for collaboration for IT solutions in Bangladesh part.

MoU between Prasar Bharati and Bangladesh Television was also signed.

Meanwhile, another MoU between the two sides was signed for cooperation in the areas of Space Technology.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi witnessed the signing of the bilateral instruments after holding bilateral talks at Hyderabad House in India's capital city as the two countries seek enhanced cooperation.

Issues related to security cooperation, investment, enhanced trade relations, power and energy sector cooperation, water sharing of common rivers, water resources management, border management, combating drug smuggling and human trafficking will get priority during the talks between PM Hasina and her Indian counterpart Modi, officials said.

Other projects

The two leaders unveiled the unit-I of the Maitree power plant. The 1320 (660x2) MW supercritical coal-fired thermal power plant at Rampal, Khulna is being set up at an estimated cost of approximately $2 billion with $1.6 billion as Indian Development Assistance under the Concessional Financing Scheme.

Bangladesh and India on Tuesday unveiled several projects alongside signing seven MoUs to exemplify cooperation in wide ranging areas.

The projects include -- Rupsha Bridge, the Khulna-Darshana railway line link project and the Parbatipur-Kaunia railway route.

The 5.13km Rupsha rail bridge is a key part of the 64.7km Khulna-Mongla Port single-track broad gauge rail project.

It connects the Mongla Port with Khulna by rail, and thereafter to central and north Bangladesh.

Supply of road construction equipment and machinery – the project consists of the supply of road maintenance and construction equipment and machinery in 25 packages to the Bangladesh Road and Highways Department, reports Bangla Tribune.

Khulna-Darshana railway line link project – The project is the upgradation of existing (doubling of Broad Gauge) infrastructure linking the current cross-border rail link at Gede-Darshana to Khulna thereby augmenting the rail connections between the two countries, especially to Dhaka, but also in future to Mongla Port.

The project cost is estimated at $312.48 million.

Parbatipur-Kaunia railway line – The conversion of the existing Metre Gauge line to the Dual Gauge line project is estimated at $120.41 million.

The project will connect the existing cross-border rail at Birol (Bangladesh) - Radhikapur (West Bengal) and will enhance bilateral rail connectivity.