In a significant development for India-Bangladesh trade relations, the inauguration of a cutting-edge Integrated Checkpost (ICP) at Sabroom in Tripura and Ramgarh upazila in Bandarban on the Bangladesh side is set to take place on Saturday, marking a transformative milestone in cross-border ties.
Key government figures in Delhi suggest the virtual presence of both Prime Ministers, Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi, at the Saturday morning inauguration ceremony.
The ICP functions as a modern terminal and logistics hub at international borders, streamlining the movement of goods and passengers. By consolidating customs, immigration, container transshipment, and warehousing under one roof, it enhances efficiency in trade and travel processes.
This launch heralds the establishment of a modern land port between India and Bangladesh in the border town of Sabroom, positioned to potentially surpass the volume of trade and passenger traffic at the current largest ICP on the Petrapole-Benapole border.
Anticipation for the Sabroom-Ramgarh route is fueled by its strategic location—less than 80km from Chittagong, the commercial capital of Bangladesh. India’s permission to use the Chittagong port further enhances Sabroom’s potential as the primary gateway for goods movement in Northeast India.
Moreover, its proximity to the under-construction Matarbari deep-sea port, located within 100km, adds to the prospects. When operational, Matarbari is expected to significantly boost traffic through Sabroom.
The 1.9km Maitri Setu bridge, inaugurated by Modi and Hasina in March 2021, becomes operational with the ICP launch, augmenting connectivity and driving traffic on this friendship bridge.
Sabroom also benefits from established railway connectivity, with a broad-gauge rail link connecting it to the rest of India.
Aditya Mishra, Chairman of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), and other officials recently visited Sabroom, ensuring the completion of the remaining 10% of the ICP’s construction and associated road infrastructure connecting Sabroom to Bangladesh.
A meeting between Indian and Bangladeshi delegations on January 22 finalized plans for the inauguration at the friendship bridge over the Feni River.
Prime Minister Modi, during the ICP’s groundbreaking three years ago, emphasized that enhancing connectivity between India and Bangladesh goes beyond fostering friendship, aiming to create new trade and traffic corridors. Spanning 49 acres, the Sabroom Integrated Checkpost is set to realize this vision.
