No Indian Electricity Corridor Through Bangladesh Sans Reciprocity: CNI

🌏 Citizens for National Interest (CNI), a rights body, on Sunday opposed the proposed 765 kV Indian electricity transmission corridor passing through Bangladesh. Addressing a press briefing at the National Press Club, CNI leaders said they do not oppose regional infrastructure development out of hand. However, they reject asymmetric concessions and demands that do not respect national sovereignty, cross-border water rights, and territorial security.

📊 The press briefing presented a fact-based civil society position on the proposed 765 kV Indian electricity transmission corridor that maps a route across Katihar (Bihar) — Parbotipur (Bangladesh) — Bornagar (Assam). The project was initiated via a joint statement on October 5, 2019, and advanced through Indian Ministry of Power clearances to target a completion timeline of October 2028.

• 📊 Voltage: 765 kV transmission corridor
• 📍 Route: Katihar (Bihar, India) → Parbotipur (Bangladesh) → Bornagar (Assam, India)
• 📅 Joint statement: October 5, 2019
• 📅 Target completion: October 2028
• 🏛 Civil society body: CNI (Citizens for National Interest)
• 📜 CNI chief: Reita Rahman

The proposed corridor would create a high-voltage electricity transmission link connecting India's eastern grid (Bihar) with India's northeastern grid (Assam) through Bangladeshi territory at Parbotipur. The project would enable India to transmit electricity between its eastern and northeastern regions more efficiently — using Bangladesh's territory as a transit corridor.

CNI's opposition reflects broader concerns about asymmetric bilateral arrangements between Bangladesh and India — concerns that align with the interim government's ongoing review of 101 agreements concluded with India during the previous government's tenure. The demand for reciprocity — that any corridor through Bangladesh should be accompanied by corresponding benefits for Bangladesh, such as electricity transit fees, power purchase agreements, or grid interconnection that benefits Bangladesh's own electricity supply — reflects the principle that infrastructure on Bangladeshi territory should serve Bangladeshi interests, not merely facilitate Indian energy transmission.

The 765 kV corridor proposal also raises questions about energy security and sovereignty. If Bangladesh grants India the right to transmit electricity through its territory, the corridor infrastructure — including transmission towers, substations and land rights — would create a permanent Indian energy infrastructure presence on Bangladeshi soil. The civil society opposition signals that any such arrangement needs careful scrutiny regarding sovereignty implications, environmental impact, land acquisition and the terms of any transit fees or power-sharing arrangements.

The coming months will reveal whether the interim government's review of India agreements includes the 765 kV corridor — and whether the reciprocity demand that CNI advocates translates into renegotiated terms that serve Bangladeshi interests alongside the regional infrastructure development objective.