India-Japan to develop a port in Bangladesh for alternative to the Siliguri route

New Delhi, Jan 1: Ties between India and Bangladesh will be further strengthened with the ruling Bangladesh Awami League's landslid victory in the general elections of the country. With prime minister Sheikh Hasina continuing to be at the helm for next five years, not only the volume of the financial aid given to Bangladesh by India will increase but Bangladesh will also be benefited with the infrastructure development that India is doing with the help of Japan in Indian Ocean.

Sources said that talks among India, Japan and Bangladesh to built a huge port in the deep sea near Payra in South Bangladesh have reached to advance stage and this could be announced anytime this year. India is focusing to develop a port in Bangladesh after helping the country in many industrial projects. The Sheikh Hasina government continuing in the power will help the government in India. The biggest reason for developing this port is that India does not want to rely only on the Siliguri route for supply of good from the northeastern regions of the country.

The most important reason being for such decision is India's recent dispute with China over Doklam as China will be able to keep a watch on Siliguri route from there. Second reason is that China is also constantly putting pressure on the Sheikh Hasina government to give contract to it to built a port in Bangladesh. But the most important aspect of Payra port is that it is very close to Indian sea territory and it is is the best possible route to link with the rest of the northeastern region.

If everything goes the right way, Payra port will be built by India and Japan under Asia Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) scheme, which was announced around two years ago by the two countries. AAGC is considered to be the answer to the ambitious One Road, One Belt (OROB) plan of China. India is also planning to built a big road project in Bangladesh with the help of China.

India is also planning to built a big power plant. India supplies 1160 megawatt power to Bangladesh which is over 10 per cent to the total consumption of power of the country. Laying pipeline for diesel from India to Bangladesh is in progress which will be completed in 2020. This pipeline will help supplying other products. There are three railway network in Bangladesh on which India is working.