New Delhi (NVI): India and Bangladesh today inaugurated a rail link as part of endeavour to restore all the six railway linkages that existed between them prior to the 1965 India-Pakistan war.
The linkages were damaged or destroyed in the 1965 war when Bangladesh was part of Pakistan and was known as East Pakistan, six years before its birth.
The restored railway link which was inaugurated today jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina is between Haldibari in West Bengal and Chilahati in Bangladesh. The train operation will be operationalised as and when the COVID situation improves.
Prior to the 1965 war, there were at least six rail links between India and East Pakistan. Among the trains which ferried goods and passengers were East Bengal Express, East Bengal Mail and Barisal Express.
After inaugurating the Haldibari-Chilahati link, Modi and Hasina “noted with satisfaction the continued progress made towards the restoration of pre-1965 railway linkages between both nations.”They noted that this rail link will further strengthen trade and people-to-people ties between the two sides.
“The two leaders took stock of the ongoing bilateral connectivity measures and welcomed the recent initiatives including the signing of the second addendum to the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT), trial run of trans-shipment of Indian goods from Kolkata to Agartala via Chattogram and operationalization of Sonamura-Daudkandi Protocol route under the PIWTT,” said a Joint Statement issued after the talks.
Both the leaders also agreed to expeditiously operationalise trans-shipment of Indian goods through Chattogram and Mongla Ports.
“To facilitate better connectivity and simplify movement of passengers and goods between both the countries, both leaders agreed to an early operationalization of the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement through expeditious signing of the Enabling MoU for Bangladesh, India and Nepal to commence the movement of goods and passengers, with provision for Bhutan to join at a later date,” it said.
Bangladesh Prime Minister expressed keen interest in the ongoing India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway project and sought support of India for enabling Bangladesh to connect with this project with a view to enhance connectivity between the regions of South and South East Asia.
“In the same spirit, the Indian side requested Bangladesh to allow connectivity from West Bengal (Hilli) to Meghalaya (Mahendraganj) via Bangladesh,” the Joint Statement said.
India reiterated its request to the Government of Bangladesh of having at least one Land Port with minimal negative list between each neighbouring states of India and Bangladesh, beginning with Agartala-Akhaura.
Bangladesh side proposed that Bangladeshi trucks avail of the Feni Bridge, once completed, for transportation of goods from Chattogram port to the North East of India.
Acknowledging the vibrant development partnership between the two countries, both sides stressed on active operationalization of the recently-constituted High Level Monitoring Committee headed by Secretary, Economic Relations Division from Bangladesh and the High Commissioner of India in Dhaka to regularly review the progress of the LOC Projects for their early completion.
Both sides noted with satisfaction the commencement of a temporary Air Travel Bubble between the two sides to facilitate the urgent requirements of travellers on both sides during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bangladesh side also requested the Indian side to resume regular travel through land ports at the earliest.
