India-Bangladesh Bridge Maitri Setu Ready for September Inauguration 2024

According to a senior government official, the connecting bridge between India and Bangladesh ‘Maitri Setu’ in south Tripura will begin by September for passengers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Maitri Setu in March 2021. The 1.9 km bridge spans the Feni River it links the Sabroom in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh.

Kiran Gitte, Secretary of Tripura’s Industries and Commerce Department, shared this news at a recent press conference, stating, “The Maitri Setu has already been inaugurated. The landport is almost ready…Passenger movement through the bridge will commence in September. Goods movement will follow two to three months later.”

The bridge’s opening is important for Tripura and the entire North-Eastern region of India. Located just 80 km from Sabroom in Tripura, Chittagong Port in Bangladesh offers the potential for improved trade routes. Gitte announced that the Kamalasagar border market in Tripura’s Sepahijala district, which is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will reopen soon. At present, Srinagar Border Haat is operational in South Tripura district.

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Key Facts About Maitri Setu Bridge:

1. Length and Location: The Maitri Setu is a 1.9-kilometer-long bridge connecting Sabroom in Tripura, India, with Ramgarh in Bangladesh.

2. Constructed Over Feni River: The bridge is built over the Feni River, which marks the boundary between India and Bangladesh.

3. Symbol of Friendship: The bridge symbolizes the strengthening of friendly relations between India and Bangladesh.

4. Design and Structure: Maitri Setu is a pre-stressed concrete structure with a single-span design, ensuring smooth traffic and cargo flow.

5. Construction Supervision: The bridge was supervised by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL), under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

6. Trade Route Enhancement: The bridge allows goods transport from West Bengal to Northeast India via the Chittagong and Mongla Ports in Bangladesh.

7. Economic Impact: The bridge boosts economic development in the Northeastern states and fosters closer ties between the people of Northeast India and Bangladesh.

8. New Maritime Route: Maitri Setu provides a new maritime route from Kolkata to Chittagong, offering a quicker alternative to the Sittwe Port-Kaladan route and enhancing regional connectivity, trade, and diplomatic relations.

So, the Maitri Setu is opening in month of September 2024, it is a significant milestone in relations of India and Bangladesh.