New Delhi: In a major development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline today virtually. This is the first cross-border energy pipeline which has come up between India and Bangladesh as part of mutual cooperation in the region.
The Friendship Pipeline has been developed at a cost of Rs 377 crore, as per estimates. Of this, the Bangladesh contribution to the cross-border pipeline was completed at a cost of nearly Rs 285 crore, which has been borne by the Indian Government under grant assistance. Sources said that the energy pipeline can transport 1 Million Metric Ton Per Annum (MMTPA) of High-Speed Diesel (HSD).
It will supply HSD fuel initially to nearly seven districts located in the northern region of Bangladesh. The operation of the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline is expected to boost an eco-friendly, sustainable, dependable, cost-effective, and environment-friendly method of transporting HSD from India to Bangladesh. Today's inauguration via video-conferencing will take place at 5 pm, as per official sources.
The project will further improve cooperation in energy security between the two neighbouring countries. The Indo-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline is laid from Siliguri in West Bengal to Parbatipur in Bangladesh for the supply of high-speed diesel. The initiative is being seen as a major initiative to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.
Both India and Bangladesh have been working out various other projects to improve the interconnectivity of infrastructure for the benefit of the people of the respective nations. The successful completion of the Friendship Pipeline has reinforced confidence in taking bilateral cooperation to the next level.
