To reduce the geographical distance between West Bengal and other regions of India, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has proposed a corridor through Bangladesh to West Bengal. He made this statement during a press briefing at his office in Shillong on Friday.
The proposed corridor would span 100 kilometers or more, connecting Mahendraganj in Meghalaya with Hili, a port city in West Bengal’s South Dinajpur district. Both Mahendraganj and Hili share borders with Bangladesh.
Chief Minister Sangma mentioned that, if constructed, the corridor would not only connect Mahendraganj but also link other districts of Meghalaya such as Tura, Baghmara, Dalu, and Dawki with West Bengal.
He stated, “If a corridor connecting Hili and Mahendraganj through Bangladesh is built, it would reduce the distance between Kolkata and Meghalaya, Assam’s Barak Valley, and Tripura by 600 to 700 kilometers.”
“This would serve as an alternative economic corridor. However, it is difficult to predict when this could happen, as the Bangladeshi government is also involved. Before the recent change in Bangladesh’s government, Delhi held ministerial-level meetings with Dhaka on this issue. We will continue our efforts to revive this proposal.”