Will Bangladesh Crisis Derail India’s Ambitious Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link?
Bangladesh Envoy Emphasises Agartala-Akhaura Railway Connectivity, even as the deadline for the project was already postponed at least three times.
Published : November 6, 2025 at 6:58 PM IST
By Gautam Debroy
New Delhi: The political turmoil in Bangladesh has halted the much-hyped Agartala-Akhaura railway connectivity, even as Bangladesh High Commissioner to India M. Riaz Hamidullah has told authorities in India that the rail link connectivity will bring trade and economic prosperity for both countries.
During a visit to Agartala in Tripura, Hamidullah reportedly assured authorities that he would take up the matter with the authorities in Dhaka.
The deadline for the project was already postponed at least three times. However, experts opine that the work on the railway project on the Bangladesh side is unlikely to take place till the election in early next year.
“Given the present relation and the stand of authorities in Bangladesh towards India, we don't see any hope of resumption of the work on the railway project in the near future,” said Sanjib Deb, a political and strategic affairs expert based in Agartala, to ETV Bharat.
Ever since the Sheikh Hasina government was dethroned in Bangladesh, the relationship between New Delhi and Dhaka has not improved. The incumbent Mohammad Younus government in Bangladesh is also learnt to have adopted an anti-India stance.
According to the sources in the government, Hamidullah, during his visit to Tripura, met Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and highlighted the importance of the railway connectivity between the two countries.
“To provide additional connectivity between India and Bangladesh and encourage trade between the two nations, the Agartala-Akhaura (12 km) new line project was sanctioned. The anticipated cost of the project (Indian side) was Rs 973 crore. The alignment for the Indian side of the project runs from Agartala Railway Station to Nischintapur Yard (5.46 km), which has been commissioned. Further connectivity to Tripura via Bangladesh can improve after the upgrading of the track in Bangladesh,” said a senior government official aware of the present status of the project.
The Agartala-Akhaura railway connectivity will re-establish historic ties between the Northeast and Bangladesh’s ports, boosting trade and people-to-people connectivity.
The Agartala–Akhaura railway link is a project of immense national importance. Construction of its Indian portion is implemented by the Ministry of Railways through M/s Indian Railway Construction Company Limited (IRCON) and funded by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER).
Construction of the Bangladesh portion is implemented by Bangladesh Railways and funded by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
The alignment of the project has a length of 5.46 km in India & 6.78 km in Bangladesh. The total cost of the project was Rs 972.52 crore for both the Indian and Bangladeshi portions.
The cost of the Indian portion was Rs 580 crore as per the initial sanction, which has been revised to Rs 708.73 crore, and the funds released so far by MDoNER were Rs 708.73 crore.
The cost of the Bangladesh portion was Rs 392.52 crore.
A portion of the Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link between India and Bangladesh was inaugurated in November 2023 with the inaugural freight train run from Gangasagar (Bangladesh) to Nischintapur (India).
However, political turmoil in the country has jeopardised the much-hyped project.
The railway project is designed to significantly decrease travel times between the Northeast and Kolkata by shortening the route from approximately 1600 km to 500 km. This is expected to cut travel time from the current 31 hours down to 10 hours.
The Agartala-Akhaura railway work officially started in July 2016 when the foundation stone was laid, though the project was formally sanctioned in 2012-2013.
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