Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Premier Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated 'Maitri Setu' (Friendship Bridge), a bridge built over the Feni river flowing between Bangladesh and India.

Sheikh Hasina said that the Maitri Setu will play a big role in boosting economy on both sides.

The two prime ministers inaugurated the 1.9-kilometre bridge connecting Sabroom in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh on Tuesday noon through a video conference.

The name 'Maitri Setu' is meant to symbolize growing bilateral relations and friendly ties between India and Bangladesh, the Indian Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

The bridge has been built by India's state-owned National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation at a cost of Rs 133 crore, according to the statement. "The bridge is poised to herald a new chapter for trade and people to people movement between India and Bangladesh," it said.

With this inauguration, Tripura is set to become the 'Gateway of North East' with access to Chittagong Port of Bangladesh, which is just 80 km away from Sabroom, the press release added.

India and Bangladesh share an over 4,000 kilometers of international border. This is the longest land boundary that India shares with any of its neighbours.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said during the inaugural program, "It is a great delight for me to inaugurate the Maitri Setu today with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It happened at such a time while we are celebrating the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence and fifty years of India-Bangladesh alliance."