Agartala-Kolkata bus service through Bangladesh begins:
[India News]: Agartala, Jan 4 : The bus service between Agartala to Kolkata via Dhaka started from the Tripura Road Service Corporation (TRTC) from here today. The development came after Bangladesh government recently agreed to allow double entry and exit visas for Indian citizens transiting through any international airports or land ports provided the passenger produce air or bus ticket up to Dhaka.
The country’s northeast region, particularly the landlocked Tripura, shall be benefited from the new bus service. The 600-km distance shall be covered in about 14 hours and the to and fro journey shall cost rupees 2200.
The citizens in Tripura are highly enthusiastic with the inauguration of the service as it shall not only save money but also time, moreover, the journey shall be more convenient.
Susmita Saha,a passenger, said this bus service will not only save money and time, but play a vital role in uniting the people of the two nations.
At present, though there is no direct bus and one has to change bus thrice at every check post but it is hoped that very soon direct bus services shall also start. Business and particularly the tourism sector of the region is expected to get a boost due to the new service.
The new provision of visas would widen the scope for Indian citizens to travel to Indian states through Bangladesh. India is already granting double entry and exit visas to Bangladeshi citizens through any international airport or land port. Dhaka’s agreement to grant Indian citizens the double entry and exit visa was only a reciprocal move on Bangladesh’s part.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said that this step of Bangladesh shall open a new vista and particularly the tourism and trade sector of both the nations shall get a boost. It shall further improve the bilateral relation between India and Bangladesh
Both countries had earlier agreed to run passenger bus daily on the Agartala-Dhaka route which was formally inaugurated on 19th September that to become third international bus service in south Asia after Delhi-Lahore and Calcutta-Dhaka.
New Delhi and Dhaka reached a consensus on combating cross-border terrorism through a simultaneous operation along their respective borders, especially to stop drug-smuggling, human-trafficking and trespassing of criminals during the Home Secretary level meeting at Dhaka in August this year. (ANI)