Bangladesh and India plan to resume train ops by October

DHAKA - Bangladesh and India are set to resume cross-border train operations through the Maitree, Mitali and Bandhan Express trains by October, according to officials. The annual meeting of railway authorities from both countries, which began on Tuesday, will work towards achieving this goal. Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5, 2024, and the subsequent political change, normalcy has slowly returned to Bangladesh.

However, the suspension of the Maitree, Bandhan and Mitali Express services in July 2024 has kept passenger train services between the two nations on hold. The meeting in Dhaka is aimed at bringing back these services. Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, emphasized the importance of people-to-people relationships and expressed confidence in the resumption of train operations at the right time, such as during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit.

In addition to restarting the three trains, Bangladesh plans to propose a new train service from Rajshahi to Kolkata. The country is also interested in operating the Maitree Express between Dhaka and Kolkata via the Padma Bridge, a route that was previously used during the Sheikh Hasina era via the Jamuna Bridge.