Amid the chaos in Bangladesh, the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) has announced plans to operationalise the newly built land port in Sabroom, South Tripura.
On Tuesday, LPAI chairman Aditya Mishra inspected Sabroom’s border infrastructure alongside BSF officials, indicating that operations are expected to commence in early 2024. The Centre has invested over Rs 500 crore in constructing a bridge across River Feni, connecting Sabroom to Chittagong sea port, approximately 70 km away. This infrastructure aims to enhance trade connections between Southeast Asia and northeast India via Bangladesh.
Currently, northeast India relies on West Bengal’s Haldia port, requiring transportation across 2000 km through North Bengal and the challenging terrain of Assam and Meghalaya. To reduce this distance, the Centre established a railway connection between Agartala and Bangladesh, projected to generate Rs 1000 crore in business for Bangladesh.
While both projects reached completion, the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s govt in Bangladesh and increased anti-Indian sentiments have created uncertainty.