Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Maitri Setu’ bridge between India and Bangladesh on Tuesday via video conferencing.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, during the launch of Maitri Setu bridge via videoconference, said the opening of the bridge is testimony to the Bangladesh government's continued commitment to support its neighbour India in strengthening connectivity in the region, particularly for Northeast India.

His counterpart Hasina said that political boundaries should not become physical barriers for trade.

"Political boundaries should not become physical barriers for trade. The bridge over Feni river will also help Bangladesh's trade with Nepal and Bhutan," PM Modi's Bangladeshi counterpart said.

‘Maitri Setu’, which spans 1.9 kilometres joining Sabroom in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh, has been built over the Feni river which flows between the Indian boundary in Tripura and Bangladesh. The name of the bridge symbolises the growing bilateral relations and friendly ties between India and Bangladesh. The construction of the bridge has been overseen by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.

Here are the highlights from PM's address:

·         Tripura is emerging as a role model of the big states that don't have double-engine governments. The governments who waste their time quarrelling with Delhi are also realising. Once a power-deficit state, Tripura is now a power surplus state.

·         For the first time, the purchase of farm produce on MSP has been ensured in Tripura. People working under MGNREGA are now getting Rs 205 per day instead of Rs 135 per day.

·         Tripura is now working for 'Ease of Doing Business'. This is now a place for new industries, new investment.

·         In the last 6 years, there's a big increase in the amount of money that Tripura receives from the central government.

·         Between 2009-14, Tripura received Rs 3,500 crore from Central Government for central development projects.

·         More than 12,000 crore rupees have been provided between the year 2014-19.

Prime Minister Modi also laid the foundation stone for setting up an integrated check post at Sabroom which will help in easing the movement of goods and passengers between India and Bangladesh. The project has an estimated cost of about Rs 232 crore, according to PMO's statement.