The breakfast in Dhaka and the lunch in
Kolkata. This is not a dream, but a reality of a train passenger.
The political and goodwill gestures of Indian
government to launch the introduction of rail connectivity between
Dhaka-Kolkata through the ‘Padma Bridge Rail Link’ and resumption of tourist
visas to Bangladeshis can only materialize dreams of Bangladeshis as well as
Indians, said several Bangladesh
diplomat who worked in India recently.
The introduction of rail connectivity between
Dhaka -Kolkata through the ‘Padma Bridge Rail Link’ will reduce travel time
substantially giving a relief to the travelers, especially the patients, said
Additional Director General (Operation) of Bangladesh Railway Mohammad Nazmul
Islam .
He said that the duration between Dhaka and
Sealdah, a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, through the ‘Padma Bridge Rail
Link’ will be around five hours which now takes nine hours through the Jamuna
Multipurpose Bridge
Meanwhile, India last week announced the
resumption of tourist visas for Bangladeshi nationals after nearly two years,
with applications set to open from Sunday, marking the restoration of its
regular visa services.
“I am happy to announce that we are resuming
our normal visa operation. Applications for tourist visas can be submitted from
Sunday,” Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said.
The envoy made the announcement while visiting
the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) at Jamuna Future Park in the capital
this afternoon after presenting his credentials to President Mohammed
Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban this morning.
Trivedi said India would continue to facilitate
medical visas in urgent cases on humanitarian grounds.
“I called on the Hon’ble President of
Bangladesh and presented my credentials today. I am coming straight to the
Indian Visa Application Centre to inspect its operations. It is heartening to
see such a large footfall of people here at IVAC,” the High Commissioner said.
He said visas would continue to be issued
through the five IVACs located in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chattogram, Sylhet and
Khulna.
Meanwhile, the
cross-border rail connectivity between India and Bangladesh remains
suspended after political turmoil began in July 2024. Before the suspension,
three trains ran between two South Asian countries – Kolkata-Dhaka-Kolkata
Maitree Express, Kolkata-Khulna-Kolkata Bandhan Express and Dhaka-New
Jalpaiguri-Dhaka Mitali Express.
The Maitree Express which runs six days a week
from both sides, Dhaka and Kolkata is the only train on the route. The train’s
service has been temporarily stopped for security reasons. The Maitree Express
or Maitree Express or Dhaka-Kolkata Express is an International passenger train
serving the railway connecting the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka and the Indian
state West Bengal's capital Kolkata.
'Maitree' means Friendship, denoting the
significance of the train service to the foreign relations between India and
Bangladesh. The train travels around 375 kilometers to reach Dhaka from
Kolkata. It takes around 10–11 hours to cover the entire stretch. There are two
stops for immigration checking; one is Gede (Indian side) and the other is
Dorshona (Bangladesh side)..
Meanwhile, Dhaka and Kolkata train service was
halted in 1965 when Pakistan and Indians engaged in war. The train service
again resumed after 43 years in 2008. …..
Meanwhile, a delegation of Bangladesh Railway
held a meeting with India Railway in India on the resumption of Maitree
Express. The Indian delegation is expected to visit Dhaka soon on resuming the
train service
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Railway
Md Rupam Anwar said that Bangladesh is hopeful of resuming train service
between Dhaka and Kolkata soon…..
However, he expects that India will give nod to
the introduction of new rail connectivity between Dhaka-Kolkata through the
‘Padma Bridge Rail Link’ after calculating its business interest.
Meanwhile, the much-sought train service
connecting Khulna and Dhaka via the Padma Bridge began operations on December
24, 2024.
The new service, part of the Padma Bridge Rail
Link Project, significantly has reduced travel time between Khulna and Dhaka,
marking a major milestone in Bangladesh’s rail connectivity.
With the launch of two passenger trains—the
Jahanabad Express (Khulna-Dhaka-Khulna) and the Ruposhi Bangla Express
(Benapole-Dhaka-Benapole)—train journeys in the region are now faster and more
efficient. The newly constructed broad-gauge single-line rail track now
connects the existing Khulna-bound rail line via Rupdia and Singia stations.
The trains will operate six days a week, with a
weekly break on Mondays.
Bangladesh Railway (BR) has built the 172
kilometre new railway track, with plans to upgrade it to a double track between
Kamalapur, Rupdia, and Singia stations, at a cost of Tk37,155 crore, with over
half of the funding provided by China in the form of a loan.
The Padma Rail Link Project was implemented by
China Railway Group Limited (CREC) with the construction supervision consultant
of the Bangladesh Army.
Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao
Wen said Padma Bridge Rail Link is a
landmark project under the Belt and Road Initiative, and also the largest
infrastructure project in Bangladesh using Chinese preferential loans.
As one of the most important infrastructure
projects in Bangladesh, he said it is estimated to directly benefit 80 million
people and boost economic growth by 1.5%.
Meanwhile, the Executive Committee of the National
Economic Council (ECNEC) on May 3, 2016 approved 'Padma Bridge rail link'
project involving an estimated cost of Tk 34,988.86 crore in a bid to set up
improved rail connectivity between the capital and the southwestern part of the
country through the Padma Bridge.
Meanwhile, Alim Al Rabby, a businessman while
talking to this correspondent said “
India is our neighbouring country. Bangladesh has witnessed tremendous economic
growth during the last 50 years with a
rise of new upper and middle class in the last 20 years. Now Bangladeshis are
visiting different parts of the country and during the vacation of two Eids and
the winter season, Bangladeshis are increasingly visiting India. He is ecstatic
that he can reach Kolkata within 4/5 hours. It would be a dream journey by the
new rail route visa Padma bridge. Hope the High Commission of India (HCI) will
issue normal visa soon as Bangladesh and
India are two neighbours”
Meanwhile,
Md Rafeuzzaman, former president of TOAB and governing body member of
the Bangladesh Tourism Board, said: “Tourism is the third largest industry in
the world.
Former Project Director of Padma Bridge Rail
Link Project Md Afzal Hossain (now Director General) also said that the
duration time between Dhaka and Sealdah through the ‘Padma Bridge Rail Link’
will be around five hours what now takes nine hours through the Jamuna
Multipurpose Bridge.
Former Chief Planning Officer of Bangladesh
Railway SM Salimullah Bahar while talking to this correspondent said that the
rail network of the country has marked a milestone after completion of the
Padma Rail Link Project……
Meanwhile, Prof Akbaruddin Ahmad, former
President of Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) said recently “Bangladesh will see a boom in the arrival of
the South Asian tourists after introduction the Dhaka--Kolkata train service
thru’ Padma Bridge Rail Link’
Akbaruddin Ahmad said Indian and Nepalese
tourists will be interested to visit Bangladesh through the Padma Bridge. Even
the government is planning to connect the southern-western part of the country
with the capital through improved road and railway networks in phases. The
government is also upgrading the Mongla Port, making it an international port,
with a view to easing the pressure on the Chattogram Port.
“The
Padma Bridge is expected to unlock the potentials of the region and transform
the lives of nearly 30 million people living in the South West. By reducing
distances to major urban centres like Dhaka by almost 100km, the Bridge will
reduce poverty in the region and accelerate growth and development in the
country as a whole,” said a World Bank report.
Nazmun Nahar, a resident of Uttara sector 10,
said usually children and women prefer train journeys over bus journeys and
hope that the number of train passengers will rise several times through ‘Padma
Bridge Rail Link’. A director of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) said the number of Bangladeshi tourists will also
rise as the journey time with be reduced to half compared to the present route
through the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge..
Meanwhile,
Bangladesh and India have stepped in to revive the strained relations
between the two countries that suffered since the ungracious departure of
former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, said politicians,
diplomats, policy-markers, business leaders.
India has heaved a sigh of relief as Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP) post a landslide victory in the 13th parliament
election held on February 12, 2026, said a professor of the Dhaka University.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
congratulated Tarique Rahman after the BNP's victory in the Bangladesh
elections. Modi expressed hope to work together to further strengthen the
relationship between the two countries. Earlier, the US Embassy also
congratulated the people and the BNP and Tarique Rahman. The message expressed
hope for cooperation to ensure the prosperity and security of the two
countries.
Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner Pranay
Verma on Sunday said India is looking forward to engaging with the new
government in Bangladesh and further strengthening bilateral cooperation across
all sectors.
“In today’s meeting with the Foreign Minister,
I reiterated our position that we look forward to engaging with the new
Government in Bangladesh. I conveyed that we want to strengthen our
people-centric cooperation in all domains, working together in a positive,
constructive and forward-looking manner, based on mutual interest and mutual
benefit,” he said
