Work begins on Bangladesh-Myanmar rail line

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Work begins on Bangladesh-Myanmar rail line
2011-04-03 16:50:00


Dhaka, April 3 (IANS) Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday opened construction work on a rail line that will connect Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh's southeastern beach resort to neighbouring Myanmar.

The $255 million project of two meter gauge lines will connect Jhilongjha with Chittagong, the principal port city on one side and on the other side, it will connect Ramu with Gundum near the Myanmarese border by December 2013, Star Online, website of The Daily Star reported.

The first survey for the railway line was conducted in 1890 during the British era. But due to the two World Wars the construction works could not start. The first feasibility study on the rail line was conducted in 2001 during Hasina's previous tenure.

Bangladesh has a 300 km border with Myanmar. It hopes to connect by road and rail through Myanmar with Kunmin in China.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

This is really a good news as it will eventually connect BD with China... which is really strategically important task for bd...

 

[eastwatch]

The proverb goes, better late than never. A project undertaken in 1890 is now inaugurated. I hope, the project will be completed before 2090Newspapers report about BD-Burma railway connections. But, I wonder if Burma wants to reciprocate our good gesture by building a railroad in its own territory that can take us to SE asia.

 

[Dalai Lama]

Will this be good for Bangladesh imports?

 

[desioptimist]

The proverb goes, better late than never. A project undertaken in 1890 is now inaugurated. I hope, the project will be completed before 2090Newspapers report about BD-Burma railway connections. But, I wonder if Burma wants to reciprocate our good gesture by building a railroad in its own territory that can take us to SE asia.

I guess this rail line is for mutual benefit. Or are you building the myanmar side of track also?
The only reciprocal gesture from myanmar will be building a track till their border(which I guess from the above news is already there).

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

I guess this rail line is for mutual benefit. Or are you building the myanmar side of track also?
The only reciprocal gesture from myanmar will be building a track till their border(which I guess from the above news is already there).

Most likely bangladesh will pay for it as it will mainly for the bd use not for myaanmar ( I mean they will not use it that much as they have already connection with china)... other then this bd is also proposed to establish road link with china.... which will be paid by bangladesh... but myaanmar has not replied yet about the road link as far as i know....

 

[TopCat]

We need the track for our deep sea port in Sonadia. It will be double track i suppose. linking with burma is a far cry and i dont think it will materialize soon. Also rail track dimension in China and BD are different not sure about the burma.

 

[LaBong]

A BD-China line which goes through Mayanmar. How commercially viable would this line be as opposed to BD-China transit through India?

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

A BD-China line which goes through Mayanmar. How commercially viable would this line be as opposed to BD-China transit through India?

You better say coxs bazar- kunming connection line... I think this is the shortest path ... if you would like to consider some other area then india may be the shortest path... but neither BD or china would like to rely on India and same also for India ... thats the reason why BD did not sign asian highway deal...

b in terms of road distance I think it will be somewhat delhi-bombay distance... so nothing unusual... n china need this to develop its yunan province and it would reduce chinas transit time to unload products by sea...n eventually this will also open the gateway for bangladesh to connect to the south east asia...

This is the coxs bazar and kunming distance map...

kunming - Google Maps

 

[desioptimist]

Most likely bangladesh will pay for it as it will mainly for the bd use not for myaanmar ( I mean they will not use it that much as they have already connection with china)... other then this bd is also proposed to establish road link with china.... which will be paid by bangladesh... but myaanmar has not replied yet about the road link as far as i know....

I did not understand. As far as I understand you are extending your railway line to a bordering town in burma. Are you saying you are going to build anything inside burma? If you are doing it for bd then why is it a good gesture to burma and why do you expect burma to return the favour?(that was my original question)

 

[Al-zakir]

Very good. This will eventually connect us with China. After deparure of Awami by next election, Bd's relation with China will meet new height as China awaiting for our green signal to build deep seaport and military base.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

I did not understand. As far as I understand you are extending your railway line to a bordering town in burma. Are you saying you are going to build anything inside burma? If you are doing it for bd then why is it a good gesture to burma and why do you expect burma to return the favour?(that was my original question)

Just compare with the Indian 1 billion credit... through the credit the infrastructure that will be built mostly India will use it but bd government is paying it and all the projects will be done with Indian companies or contractors... in this case bd is paying it and will also pay for the road construction other then this rail link and through this trade will increase between bangladesh and burma... n china also need this to improve their yunan province by using the deep sea port of Bangladesh.... n all the link will go through burma it will be a major trade hub between bangladesh, china and south east asia... if India also want to connect through SE Asia they will also require myaanmar... but India was against this coxs bazar - myaanmar road link... instead it was asking for india-bangladesh-ne india- myaanmar road link to connect to se asia... but bangladesh did not agree as the proposed route was not accepted.. instead bangladesh decided to bypass the asia route and then connect to it by building this road link and rail link and offered bd will pay for it... n it will also serve to connect to china ... as china is one of the major ally of china so this project has gone through...

BNP government was against the indian proposed asian highway as that was designed to give transit to india in the guise of asian highway... without any benefit BNP was against signing it...

 

[desioptimist]

Just compare with the Indian 1 billion credit... through the credit the infrastructure that will be built mostly India will use it but bd government is paying it and all the projects will be done with Indian companies or contractors... in this case bd is paying it and will also pay for the road construction other then this rail link and through this trade will increase between bangladesh and burma... n china also need this to improve their yunan province by using the deep sea port of Bangladesh.... n all the link will go through burma it will be a major trade hub between bangladesh, china and south east asia... if India also want to connect through SE Asia they will also require myaanmar... but India was against this coxs bazar - myaanmar road link... instead it was asking for india-bangladesh-ne india- myaanmar road link to connect to se asia... but bangladesh did not agree as the proposed route was not accepted.. instead bangladesh decided to bypass the asia route and then connect to it by building this road link and rail link and offered bd will pay for it... n it will also serve to connect to china ... as china is one of the major ally of china so this project has gone through...

BNP government was against the indian proposed asian highway as that was designed to give transit to india in the guise of asian highway... without any benefit BNP was against signing it...

Thanks for clarification. It means you are doing it for yourself (not that it is wrong, but just to point out somebody who posted myanmar should do something in return) and will gain from it, hence it is money well spent.
Infact from your post, you should thank myanmar for allowing you connectivity to china. Not the other way around.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Thanks for clarification. It means you are doing it for yourself (not that it is wrong, but just to point out somebody who posted myanmar should do something in return) and will gain from it, hence it is money well spent.
Infact from your post, you should thank myanmar for allowing you connectivity to china. Not the other way around.

You just bypassed many other point.... that is all the cost is paying by BD that myaanmar will also use while its connecting to bd or if want to use chittagong port to china... n you are forgetting this is also important of china upon which it is dependent very much... n bangladesh is a market of 166 million people .. its not a small market... myaanmar can gain a lot from it... on the other for bd... myaanmar is important for connectivity and getting gas.. only it is now stopped as bhartis will ask for gas if bd gets connected from myaanmar...

But whatever the matter bd is always thankful to both myaanmar and china for its friendly relation... but it is mutual... but on the other hand if you look at India it will use infrastructure that bd will hardly use but bd will pay for it and all the construction work will be done by bhartis contractor...

 

[desioptimist]

You just bypassed many other point.... that is all the cost is paying by BD that myaanmar will also use while its connecting to bd or if want to use chittagong port to china... n you are forgetting this is also important of china upon which it is dependent very much... n bangladesh is a market of 166 million people .. its not a small market... myaanmar can gain a lot from it... on the other for bd... myaanmar is important for connectivity and getting gas.. only it is now stopped as bhartis will ask for gas if bd gets connected from myaanmar...

But whatever the matter bd is always thankful to both myaanmar and china for its friendly relation... but it is mutual... but on the other hand if you look at India it will use infrastructure that bd will hardly use but bd will pay for it and all the construction work will be done by bhartis contractor...

Yes I ignored the bharti bla bla because it is not important to the discussion. The bd-myanmar trainline is for mutual benefit(which I pointed out in my first post). If it is mutual, then nobody needs to say thanks to others, as it is like a business transaction.