Online Desk: Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma today visited the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant at Rampal, being built with funding from the Indian government’s concessional financing scheme with an outlay of about US$ 2 billion. Majority of the amount is being provided by India’s EXIM Bank, reports UNB.

The plant uses ultra super critical technology and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. Phase-I of the 1320 MW power plant was inaugurated by the Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh in September 2022 and has already started supplying electricity to the national grid of Bangladesh. Phase-II of the project is expected to be completed shortly, officials said. Energy cooperation is an “important component” of India-Bangladesh development partnership and the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant is a concrete manifestation of the deep-rooted friendship and cooperation between India and Bangladesh, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

Pranay Verma visits Rupsha Rail Bridge On February 3, the Indian high commissioner visited the Rupsha rail bridge which is expected to “boost trade and connectivity” for not only Bangladesh but also for the entire sub-region. The bridge is being developed under the Indian government’s concessional line of credit (LOCs) extended to the Bangladesh government.

During his two-day visit to Khulna division on February 3-4, High Commissioner Pranay Verma will be visiting some of the important connectivity projects which are being developed under the Bangladesh-India development partnership. The total length of the Rupsha bridge is over 5km and the cost of constructing the bridge is US$ 169.26 million. The bridge has been constructed over the Rupsha river, and its construction was a challenging engineering feat as it required use of specialized technology for piling work, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Friday night.

The bridge also has additional features for ensuring navigation safety and the navigational clearance is more than 18m from standard high-water level. India is Bangladesh’s largest development partner in South Asia. India has already committed LOCs worth nearly US$ 8 billion to Bangladesh. The bridge is a visible example of the India-Bangladesh development partnership, said the High Commission.

The Rupsha railway bridge and the Khulna-Mongla port rail line will greatly facilitate transportation of goods, and enhanced connectivity and accessibility to Mongla Port will improve market access for local businesses including for agricultural produce in the region. It is also expected to positively impact tourism to prominent spots in the southwestern part of Bangladesh.