The Indo-Bangla Waterway Project, which is meant to connect Tripura’s Gomti River to the Meghna, is a commendable step towards ensuring regional connectivity.
Time and again, experts have spoken of the importance of regional cooperation in developing countries such as India and Bangladesh, where working together can create win-win situations for increasing rates of progress.
This has no doubt been one of the areas in which the current government has shown great mettle, ensuring that Bangladesh’s relationships with its neighbours (and other global powers) are nurtured to ensure sustainable development.
While it remains unclear when the dredging work will begin -- some sources say it could be as early as the end of this year -- what is important is to ensure that the work is done.
Since most of the dredging will take place on the Bangladeshi side -- about 13km out of the total 15km -- it is crucial that both the regional powers understand the value it will add to the region, and that the work required is shared equally.
In addition, we hope that this understanding will ensure that similar projects are undertaken in the future, as increased connectivity between India and Bangladesh will not only allow each region to flourish economically, but pave the path towards benefitting the citizens of each country greatly.
Increased connectivity will remain key in the coming years as Bangladesh moves towards greater volumes of trade and a larger economic presence overall, and we are pleased to see that the government is moving things in the right direction.
