AGARTALA, December 23 (TIWN): To boost bilateral trade between the two countries, the progress of construction of a four-lane bridge on Feni River in Tripura that would connect the state's South district with Chittagong division in Bangladesh is likely to start from January, 2015, said a highly placed source in the state government.

According to the source, earlier, technocrats of the two neighbouring countries had completed the survey for constructing the 150-metre long bridge and placed their survey reports to the concerned ministries which approved the proposal.

Construction of the Feni Bridge was started with an estimated expense of Rs. 77 crores among other projects for higher bilateral understanding between India and Bangladesh. As per understanding, the approach road on Bangladesh soil (Ramgarh) was supposed to be funded by the Union government. To arrange required fund for the approach road, the centre sought financial support from a foreign funding agency operating on collaborative basis in Tripura, the source said.

Meanwhile, the central government has agreed to construct a Land Custom Station (LCS) at Sabroom adjacent to the neighbouring country.

The source further said after the construction of the bridge and the LCS at Sabroom would be completed, it would be a corridor for trade and commerce between Bangladesh and India's North-East.

It is be mentioned here that during a visit to Dhaka in January 2010, Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar took up the matter with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that that they wanted to build a bridge over the River Feni as the business community of the Indian North-Eastern region wanted to use the Chittagong seaport.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had agreed to the proposal but made it clear that India would bear all expenses for construction of the bridge.