GUWAHATI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar said if land connectivity through Myanmar and sea connectivity through Bangladesh become viable on a commercial scale, a world all the way to Vietnam and Philippines, from Haiphong to Hazira and from Manila to Mundra will open up, creating an east-west lateral with sweeping benefits for the continent.
“It will not only build on the partnerships that we have with the ASEAN countries and Japan, but would actually make a difference to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework that is now in the making. It is definitely within our ability to overcome geography and rewrite history if only we can get the policies and the economics right,” Jaishankar said at the two-day Nadi 3- Asian Confluence River Conclave that kicked off here on Saturday.
The starting point, he said, is enhancing connectivity with Bangladesh, especially with the northeastern part of the country and the restoration of six historical cross-border rail links, dormant since 1965, is one major step. “Once operational, the Shahabazpur (Bangladesh) to Mahishasan (Assam) link will be extended within Bangladesh and connected to the Kuluara-Shahbazpur rail line currently being modernized. Inaugurated in December 2020, the Chilahati-Haldibari (West Bengal) line will further enhance Assam’s connectivity to Bangladesh through New Jalpaiguri, including passenger traffic,” Jaishankar said, adding that a new rail link from Akhaura (Bangladesh) to Agartala (Tripura) is being developed under grant assistance, which he said is already increasing trade between India and Bangladesh.
