After a gap of two years owing to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the Agartala-Dhaka-Kolkata bus service will resume from next week.
The Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh in Tripura capital – Agartala has already started to issue visa for passengers.
Notably, the key bus service connecting Agartala with Kolkata via Dhaka will resume next week as both India and Bangladesh withdrew all restrictions on passenger movement to Bangladesh through Akhaura and Benapole land ports.
Officials of the Tripura government have informed that the state’s road transport corporation – the TRTC will resume operations of the Maitree bus from April 20.
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However, Bangladesh is yet to announce the bus service that will operate from its end.
According to the agreement between India and Bangladesh, TRTC will run a bus from Agartala in Tripura with Kolkata as destination via Dhaka in Bangladesh.
On the other hand, the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation will run a bus Salt Lake in Kolkata with Agartala as its destination via Dhaka.
People prefer to take bus rides despite affordable flight and train services between Agartala and Kolkata owing to shorter distance (around 500 kilometres) and excitement of experiencing landscapes of Bangladesh plains.
The bus service was first introduced in 1999.
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Bangladesh have also proposed to introduce a direct bus service between Agartala in Tripura and Chattogram via Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Another direct bus service is being proposed by Bangladesh to Cox’s Bazar from Agartala that will cover a distance of around 150 kilometres.
“We are working on the proposals, which will be feasible once the Indian government clears it. The Bangladesh tour operators have been asked to take up the issue with their government,” Tripura transport minister Pranajit Singha Roy said.