India has started work on building a bridge over the Feni river in Tripura to transport heavy machines and goods from the northeastern states and the rest of India to Bangladesh.The bridge is expected to be a lifeline for Tripura due to its proximity with the Chittagong port, which is about 72 km from Tripura’s southern border town of Sabroom.The bridge, whose foundation stone was laid jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hassina, would be a double-lane bridge and would be completed in two and a half years’ time .Tripura PWD minister Badal Choudhury said, ‘A joint team of senior officials of India and Bangladesh recently visited Sabroom (in India) and Ramgarh (in Bangladesh) to initiate construction work and finalize other ground works.The proposed bridge, to be built at a cost of Rs 94 crore, would be the trading lifeline not only for northeast India but also neighboring South Asian countries.’During Modi’s visit to Bangladesh last year, both the countries had signed an agreement stating that India would be allowed to use the Chittagong sea port and Mongla river port for the movement of goods to and from India.Under this agreement, the Northeast Frontier Railway has started laying broad gauge tracks to extend its network up to border town Sabroom and extension of railway line linking Bangladesh’s Akhaurah railway station.The only access of the surrounding states of Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal and China to India are through hilly and rough terrain, making transportation difficult, costly and at times, risky.The Food Corporation of India had ferryed 35,000 tonnes of rice last year in different phases to Tripura from Visakhapatnam port in Andhra Pradesh and Kolkata port via Bangladesh using the Ashuganj river ports.