Bangladesh
Bangladesh-India Bud Service Bangladesh-India bus services resume after two years
The passenger bus services between Bangladesh and India resumed on Friday after its suspension for two years induced by the Covid19 pandemic.
The flagging off marked the opening of cross border bus services through the Akhaura-Agartala and Benapole-Haridaspur Integrated Check Posts (ICPs).
The opening of the bus-services came 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 trains between Dhaka-Kolkata and Kolkata-Khulna respectively.
A new biweekly train named Mitali Express between India's New Jalpaiguri station and Dhaka was also flagged off by the Railway Ministers of both nations on June 1.
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.
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.
