The 1320MW Maitree Super Thermal Power Station is expected to be inaugurated during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's three-day visit to India in the first week of September.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina together with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will jointly inaugurate the power plant, reported The Hindustan Times on Sunday (31 July).

While PM Hasina is expected to visit India any time between 5-7 September and stay for two to three days, the visit has been accorded with utmost importance by the Modi government as Dhaka happens to be one of India's closest allies.

Considered to be Bangladesh's largest power plant, the coal-fired station is being set up by Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Limited, a 50:50 joint venture between India's NTPC and Bangladesh Power Development Board. The project is worth US$ 1.5 billion.

Meanwhile, trial runs between Kolkata-Chattogram-Mongla ports for India-Bangladesh trade will begin a new chapter in the bilateral ties.

The first vessel from Kolkata is expected to reach Mongla, on Pashur River, on 5 August carrying 16 tons of iron pipes in a container with destination Meghalaya using the Tamabil-Dwaki border points and 8.5 tons of pre-foam in another container for Assam using the Birbirbazaar-Srimantpur border points.

This exercise will create cheaper and alternative routes for India to reach its North-East region while at the same time carrying export-import containers for Bangladesh.