Bus service via Dhaka launched

In another development towards road connectivity between Bangladesh and India, Tripura bus operators yesterday also launched a bus service linking Kolkata and Agartala via Dhaka.

Bangladesh and West Bengal have been operating their buses since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi signed the agreement on Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala bus service and its protocol on June 6.

Tripura's buses joined the service yesterday, four  months after the signing of the treaty. Tripura Transport Minister Manik Dey flagged off the bus service at the Tripura Road Transport Corp international bus terminus depot.

A 45-seater Volvo bus, carrying 18 passengers, including two Canadians, left in the afternoon for Kolkata via Dhaka. Six of the passengers were bound for Kolkata and 12 for Bangladesh, according to Indian media report.

The buses, scheduled to ply twice a week, have a fare ranging between Rs 1,800 and Rs 2,000.

The route connecting West Bengal's capital with Tripura's capital through Indian soil is 1,675 kilometres, and the journey takes around 36 hours. However, the 515km journey via Dhaka will not take more than 16 hours, sources said.

Earlier, Hasina and Modi jointly inaugurated the Dhaka-Shillong-Guwahati and Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala bus services during Modi's visit to Bangladesh on June 6.

The two countries have long been operating Dhaka-Kolkata and Dhaka-Agartala bus services and Dhaka-Kolkata train services.

The Dhaka-Kolkata bus service began in June 1999. And a separate Agartala-Dhaka service started in September 2003.

Both the countries are also in consultations to introduce new bus services on Khulna-Kolkata and Jessore-Kolkata routes.

During his visit to Bangladesh, Modi agreed to consider Bangladesh's proposal to introduce the 2nd Maitree Express between Khulna and Kolkata.

Bangladesh and India are also working in the railway sector development to establish the Akhaura-Agartala railway link and the revival of the old railway links.