AMN/ WEB DESK
The passenger bus services between Bangladesh and India resumed on Friday, June 10 with the flagging off of the bus from Dhaka to Kolkata in the morning. The flagging off marked the opening of the bus services through the Akhaura-Agartala and Benapole-Haridaspur Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) between the two countries.
The opening of the bus-services comes less than two weeks after the passenger train service between the two countries were started on May 29 with the flagging off of the Maitree Express and Bandhan Express train between Dhaka-Kolkata and Kolkata-Khulna respectively. A new biweekly train named Mitali Express between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka was also flagged off by the Railway Ministers of India and Bangladesh on 1st June.
The High Commission of India in Dhaka said in a press release that the opening of the bus services will boost tourism and strengthen the people to people contact between the two countries. The bus services through the Dawki-Tamabil ICP will start after the necessary clearances are obtained between the two countries. It is a ‘major step forward in enhancing affordable, people-centric connectivity’ between the two countries, tweeted the High Commission of India.
Five routes were operational between India and Bangladesh before the services were suspended due to the Corona pandemic. Four routes including Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka, Dhaka-Agartala-Dhaka,Agartala-Dhaka-Kolkata-Agartala, and Dhaka-Khulna-Kolkata-Dhaka will become operational again. The Dhaka-Sylhet-Shillong-Guwahati-Dhaka route will open in due course.