Hasina, Modi inaugurate Maitree thermal power plant at Rampal

Prime Ministers Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi today (September 6, 2022) virtually opened the 1320 (660x2) MW Maitree super thermal power project at Rampal in Khulna and four other projects, including a rail bridge on Rupsha River and Khulna-Darshana and Parbatipur-Kaunia rail link projects.

The Rampal Power Plant is being set up at an estimated cost of approximately USD 2 billion -- with $1.6 billion as Indian Development Assistance under a concessional financing scheme.

The 5.13 km Rupsha rail bridge is a key part of the 64.7 km Khulna-Mongla Port single-track broad gauge rail project, connecting for the first time Mongla port with Khulna by rail and thereafter to Central and North Bangladesh and also to the Indian border at Petrapole and Gede in West Bengal.

The two PMs also inaugurated the supply of road construction equipment and machinery in 25 packages to the Bangladesh Road and Highways Department.

The Khulna Darshana railway line link project is an upgradation of existing (doubling of broad gauge) infrastructure linking the current cross-border rail link at Gede-Darshana to Khulna thereby augmenting the rail connections between the two countries, especially to Dhaka, and also in future to Mongla Port. The project cost is estimated at $ 312.48 million.

The Parbatipur-Kaunia Railway line is the conversion of the existing metre gauge line to a dual-gauge line project that is estimated at $ 120.41 million.

The project will connect the existing cross-border rail at Birol (Bangladesh)-Radhikapur (West Bengal) and will enhance bilateral rail connectivity.