“The introduction of the bus service is a positive step. We were awaiting it for a long time,” says Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

North East News Agency

ENCOURAGED by the overwhelming response to the Dhaka-Kolkata bus service, India and Bangladesh have decided to launch Dhaka-Agartala bus from the first week of August. The decision was taken at a two-day meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission, which concluded in Dhaka recently. External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and Bangladesh Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan co-chaired the meeting.

Surface Transport Minister B. C. Khanduri will flag off the bus from the Tripura capital on the Indian side while the Communication Minister of Bangladesh will launch it at Dhaka. The Kolkata-Dhaka bus, operational for almost four years, has become hugely popular, particularly with Bangladesh, which has been pressing India for doubling the frequency of the Dhaka-Kolkata bus.

The two countries also considered the possibility of an early launch of the Sealdah-Joydevpur passenger train service. In this connection, India proposed the convening of a meeting between Railway officials of the two countries.

DHAKA-TRIPURA BUS SERVICE A POSITIVE SIGN: MANIK SARKAR

The Tripura Government has hailed the decision on introduction of service between Agartala and Dhaka from the first week of next month. “The introduction of the bus service is a positive step. Though the decision was taken late, we were awaiting it for a long time and hope it will be a permanent arrangement,” Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said. The Tripura Chief Minister further stated that the State has already moved ahead in bilateral trade with Bangladesh and the frequent movement of people after the service would help more bilateral exchanges on culture and tourism. The Joint Economic Commission of India and Bangladesh took the decision on the service at Dhaka. Transport minister Sukumar Burman said a bus named ‘Maitra’ (Friendship) was kept ready for plying between Dhaka and Agartala, a distance of 155 km, which would take about four hours of traveling time. The modalities would be finalised in meeting between the representatives of Tripura Road Transport Corporation and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, he said. The agreement for introduction of the Agartala-Dhaka bus service was signed on July 3, 2001. On July 11 of the same year ‘Maitri’ had traveled to Dhaka from Agartala and another bus ‘Shyamali’ came from the Bangladesh capital. However, the commercial service of the bus could not start due to change of government in Bangladesh. Undoubtedly, this is s good beginning. The Dhaka-Agartala bus will not only held the people from both sides of the border to meet their relatives on the other side, it will also provide a tremedous boost to the State’s and as well as Bangaladesh’s economy..

BOOST FOR BANGLA TRADE

The North Eastern Federation on International Trade (NEFIT) joined hands with the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sylhet and Chittagong to jointly promote bilateral trade and investment between the north eastern States and Bangladesh. In identical memorandums of understanding (MoU) signed between NEFIT and the two Chambers from Bangladesh, it was agreed that the two sides will “formulate plans to explore and exploit abundant resources available in both the North-Eastern region and Bangladesh. The MoU also resolved that NEFIT and Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and NEFIT and Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) will “jointly study and identify the potential exportable items from North-East and Bangladesh.” The MoUs were signed at the end of the two-day “Export Promotion Seminar-cum-Buyer-Seller Meet” which was organised by NEFIT. It as also decided to jointly organise annual buyer-seller meet, trade fair and exhibitions, on a rotation basis besides exchanging delegations on a regular basis to closely interact and promote trade from both the countries. The new trade partners agreed to set up marketing research centres and trade information centres. They resolved ‘to act jointly to find out ways and means for investment and also to form joint ventures and strategic tie-ups from the North-Eastern states and Bangladesh. SCCI president Md Mohiuddin and CCCI president A. H. M. Choudhury from the Bangladesh side and NEFIT president R. C. Agarwal from the Indian side signed the MOUs designed to increase NE share of Indian exports to Bangladesh.

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