Context:
v The Agartala-Akhaura rail link project
has been inaugurated.
v It is a 12.24 rail link between Agartala
in Tripura and Akhaura
in Bangladesh.
v It will connect Tripura to Kolkata through
Bangladesh.
v In 2010, Bangladesh and India signed an MoU
to start the first Indo-Bangla railway project.
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Akhaura used to be the railway
link for Agartala during the colonial era. |
Benefits of Indo-Bangla
Rail Link
v Provides direct access between the NE of India
with the Chittagong port of Bangladesh.
v The travel time between Kolkata
and Tripura via Dhaka will be reduced.
v Boosts the bilateral relations and
promote tourism, trade,
and cultural exchange.
v Boosts the growth of small-scale
industries of the NE region.
v Helps the local producers to export their
products outside the country faster.
v Reduces the dependence on the strategic Siliguri
Corridor.
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Siliguri Corridor (Chicken's
Neck) It is a 22km (14-mile)
stretch that connects the Indian mainland with its north-eastern states. The NE states of India are
only accessible through this narrow strip of land in West Bengal. India's
International Land Border India has 15,106.7 Km of land border
and a coastline of 7,516.6 Km, including island territories. The Indian States of West
Bengal, Meghalaya,
Assam, Tripura, and Mizoram share boundaries
with Bangladesh. 
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