Dhaka, Aug 9 - A 'long-march' to protest the proposed Tipaimukh dam project in India has been kicked off in the Bangladeshi capital. The marchers are headed to Sylhet in northeastern Bangladesh and then on to the Indian border, a media report said Sunday.

The 'long march' was flagged off Saturday and should reach Sylhet, located 272 km northeast of Dhaka, by Tuesday. The district borders India's Assam and Meghalaya states.

'It was announced at the rally that after reaching Sylhet, the participants would march on towards the border with India,' The Daily Star reported Sunday.

Different groups have been protesting India's plans to build a dam on Barak river at Tipaimukh in Manipur state.

Members of the Tipaimukh Bandh Protirodh Committee and Sylhet Bibhag Unnayan Sangram Parishad began their march from the capital's Central Shaheed Minar, the national martyrs' memorial, after a rally.

The march is aimed at creating awareness among the people against the construction of the Tipaimukh dam as well as to forge national unity on the issue, organisers said.

The march participants walked to Muktangon from the Shaheed Minar and later boarded a bus for Sylhet.