Modi, Hasina unveil thermal power plant India helped build in Bangladesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday joined his counterpart Sheikh Hasina to remotely unveil the first unit of Maitree Thermal Power Plant, which was built at Rampal in Bangladesh with concessional financing by India.

Modi and Hasina unveiled the 1320 MW coal-fired power plant after a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. The power plant was set up at an estimated cost of approximately $ 2 billion with $ 1.6 billion as India’s development assistance to Bangladesh under a concessional financing scheme.

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The two leaders also inaugurated the 5.13 km long Rupsha Rail Bridge, a key part of the 64.7 km Khulna-Mongla Port single track broad gauge rail project. India supported the construction of the bridge in Bangladesh with a credit line. The bridge for the first time connected Mongla Port with Khulna by rail, and thereafter to central and north Bangladesh and also to the India border at Petrapole and Gede in West Bengal.

“Bangladesh has made remarkable progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Ji,” Modi said as he and his counterpart addressed media-persons after the meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. “In the last few years, our mutual cooperation has also increased rapidly in every field. Today, Bangladesh is India's largest development partner and our largest trade partner in the region”.

“Fruitful talks are also underway between the two countries on connecting power transmission lines,” said the prime minister.

President Droupadi Murmu also reassured Bangladesh Prime Minister that India would continue to be a reliable partner in the developmental journey of her country.