Modi, Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurate India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline

New Delhi, Sep 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, via video conferencing. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan were also present.

PM Narendra Modi said, "In the past few years, we have shown that if two neighbouring nations join hands then they can overcome numerous obstacles."

"Apart from aiding Bangladesh, this pipeline will also strengthen our relations," PM Modi said.

The pipeline will play an effective role in further strengthening the energy security of Bangladesh.

Both the leaders also inaugurated the construction of the third and fourth dual gauge rail lines in Dhaka-Tongi and Tongi-Joydevpur sections of Bangladesh Railway.

Both countries had entered into an agreement for the pipeline construction in April this year during Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale's visit to Dhaka. The 130-kilometre pipeline will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh.

The 346 crore rupees project will be completed in 30 months time. The capacity of the pipeline will be one million metric tons per annum.

The project will replace the existing practice of sending diesel by rail covering a distance of 510 kilometres.