Boosting cross border connectivity, Bangladesh carries out trial bus service on Dhaka-Gangtok routes

Dhaka, December 13: Planning out to open direct road network with India, Bangladesh on Thursday night carried out a trial run of direct bus route on Dhaka-Gangtok and Dhaka-Darjeeling routes via Siliguri. The trial run was conducted aiming to boost cross-border passenger services. The run was inaugurated by Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation Chairman Ehsan Elahi.

 

A team including 18 government officials, led by Joint Secretary (toll and axle) Shafiqul Karim of road transport and highway division, left Gabtoli Bus Terminal in two buses around 8:15pm. Five Indian officials will join them at Siliguri. They will return home on December 16 after visiting Darjeeling and Gangtok. The run was scheduled yesterday morning, but delayed due to certain reasons.

A large number of holidaymakers seek direct bus services to the two popular tourist destinations. Besides, many Bangladeshi parents send their children to boarding schools in Darjeeling. The service will ease their journey to the places. Darjeeling via Siliguri is around 450km and Gangtok about 500km away from Dhaka.

In November, India lifted a ban that restricted foreigners from entering Gangtok. The bus service will definitely be a great help to the visitors now. However, the heavy buses would not be able to operate on the narrow and zigzag roads between Siliguri and Darjeeling.

Currently, buses operate on five cross-border routes between Bangladesh and India -- Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka, Dhaka-Agartala-Dhaka, Dhaka-Sylhet-Shillong-Guwahati-Dhaka, Agartala-Dhaka-Kolkata-Agartala and Dhaka-Khulna-Kolkata-Dhaka.