India’s New Highway Project: Alternative Connectivity Bypassing Bangladesh

Staff Correspondent

India has undertaken a new initiative to establish alternative connectivity between its northeastern states and the mainland. Recently, the country’s Union Cabinet approved the Shillong-Silchar highway project at a cost of ₹22,864 crore. The 166.8-kilometer-long highway will include 144.8 kilometers in Meghalaya and 22 kilometers in Assam.

This new highway is considered an extension of Myanmar’s Kaladan Multimodal Project. Once implemented, travel time to the northeastern states, known as the ‘Seven Sisters,’ will be reduced from 8.5 hours to approximately 5 hours.

Currently, the Siliguri Corridor, or ‘Chicken’s Neck,’ is the only major entry point from India’s mainland to the northeast. Using Bangladeshi territory as an alternative connection was also a viable option. However, following Bangladesh’s recent restrictions on access through the Bay of Bengal, the Indian government has started exploring alternative routes.

In this context, India is emphasizing the Kaladan Project, jointly implemented with Myanmar, as a strategic alternative. It is anticipated that the Kaladan Project will be completed before the Shillong-Silchar highway becomes operational, strengthening India’s geopolitical presence in the eastern region.

According to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation of India, the plan for this alternative route bypassing Bangladesh is part of India’s long-term strategy.

Notably, during his visit to Beijing in March, Bangladesh’s interim government Chief Advisor, Muhammad Yunus, remarked, “The Seven Sisters are landlocked; they have no access to the sea. We are the sole guardians of the region’s maritime pathway.”

India is believed to have taken this statement unfavorably. Additionally, the perceived unjust anti-India stance of the Yunus government is also being blamed.