Agartala-Kolkata bus service via Dhaka resumes after two years

Agartala: India-Bangladesh Maitree bus service that connects Tripura’s capital Agartala with Kolkata through Dhaka has been resumed on Friday after a gap of two years due to Covid pandemic induced border restrictions, Tripura Transport Minister Pranajit Singha Roy said.

Singha Roy, along with TRTC Chairman and Mayor Dipak Majumder and Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh Arif Mohammad, flagged off the bus that started for Kolkata from Akhaura Integrated Check Post with 28 passengers on board. While speaking at the flagging off ceremony, the Minister said, due to certain technical problems the bus service that stands for the longstanding camaraderie between India and Bangladesh could not be resumed as per the plans. However, all the problems have been sorted out accordingly and the bus service has resumed.

“Initially, we had planned to restart the bus service from April 28 next but had to postpone the programme due to unavoidable circumstances. But, with the positive initiatives of both the Bangladesh and Indian governments, the services have been resumed and we hope the bus service will continue to help people of both the regions in easing transportation,” said the minister.

The minister also appreciated the positive attitude of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina for taking the strong relationship of both the countries to new heights.

“Earlier, Bangladesh was linked to Tripura through road transport only. The ambitious railway project is standing at the verge of completion. Besides, Indo-Bangla waterway project linking Gomati district headquarter with Bangladesh through river route is also expected to be operational in a short span of time,” said the minister adding that all these things have become possible because of the friendly spirit of both the countries.  

Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh Arif Mohammad said, “Our hard work has finally fetched results as the bus service is resumed. This bus service is very crucial as it connects the people of three regions having identical cultural practices and strong ties.”   

Tripura Road Transport Corporation (TRTC) chairman Dipak Majumder said, “A lot of Tripura residents have their relatives in Bangladesh. This bus service brings all of them closer separated by international borders. The state government is indebted to work hard to strengthen the socio-cultural ties with Bangladesh.”

The bus service covers a distance of 500 kilometers in 19 hours, cutting short the existent distance between Agartala and Kolkata through Indian territory. 

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