A Kolkata-Khulna-Dhaka bus service was ceremoniously flagged off from Kolkata today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his counterpart from Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee jointly initiated the ceremony from Hyderabad House in New Delhi. This is a part of several initiatives being taken to strengthen bilateral relations and provide better road and rail connectivity for citizens of both the countries.
A relationship shaped in the crucible of history. The two PMs before a mural depicting the end of the Liberation War of '71 pic.twitter.com/QCxKhhyMui
— Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) April 8, 2017
Senior Ministers and high level officials from the Government of West Bengal and visiting delegates from Bangladesh participated in the flagging off ceremony held at Kolkata today.
The bus services are being operated on the Kolkata-Dhaka and Kolkata- Dhaka-Agaratala routes in addition to the newly introduced Kolkata-Khulna-Dhaka bus service.
We recall the towering leader & a friend of India’s, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Released Hindi translation of Bangabandhu’s ‘Unfinished Memoirs’ pic.twitter.com/05xbmv0f7W
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 8, 2017
They are being run by the State Transport Corporations of West Bengal and Tripura, besides Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation. Now, for the first time, Kolkata and Khulna are being directly connected through a bus route. In the 409 Km long bus route from Kolkata via Khulna to Dhaka, two buses will run three days a week from both sides.