Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-Indian PM Narendra Modi, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Dhaka-Guwahati-Shillong and Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala bus services on Saturday.
The bus services were flagged off jointly at the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office in Dhaka during Modi's maiden visit.
The bus services were introduced as part of increasing “connectivity” and promoting “greater people-to-people ties”.
During the joint briefing at PMO in Dhaka, Modi said: “Earlier today, we launched two bus services that will connect our citizens more easily and our two nations more closely.”
“These two events highlight our shared values and inter-connected destinies,” said Modi.
“My first visit to Bangladesh is a special moment for me. My personal journey has been enriched by the good wishes from countless people here,” he going on.
“We are not just neighbours. We are two nations bound by the threads of history, religion, culture, language and kinship – and, of course, passion for cricket,” Modi added.
Modi also identified that Indian and Bangladesh have the emotional bonds of shared struggles and sacrifices that bring us together as sovereign and equal nations.
Earlier on May 22 this year, the trial run of Dhaka and Guwahati via Shillong has begun to facilitate the movement of the people of the two neighbouring countries.
Starting from Dhaka, the bus run through Sylhet to Shillong in Meghalaya to Guwahati in Assam.
The total straight line distance between Dhaka and Guwahati is 309km. If a bus runs at a speed of 50km per hour, it will take around seven hours to reach Guwahati.
A bus service between Bangladesh and India was earlier launched in July 1999 connecting Dhaka and Kolkata.
Currently, two buses having a seating capacity for 40 run between Dhaka and Kolkata every day.
The bus service between Dhaka and Agartala started on September 22, 2003.
On the other hand, on June 3 this year, the trial run of Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala bus service kicked off.
The bus departed from Kolkata's Saltlake International Bus Terminal and reached Agartala in Tripura via Dhaka.
The bus service will be available three times a week.
It will start from Kolkata on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and back from Agartala on every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
BBN/SS/AD