Accord reached on Agartala-Dhaka bus service

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA, JAN. 22. Bangladesh and India have agreed, in principle, to run bus service between Agartala and Dhaka, a decision which the people of Tripura have been dreaming for decades.

The understanding came during talks between the visiting Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Ajit Kumar Panja, and the Prime Minister, Ms. Sheikh Hasina, and other leaders. Later addressing newsmen at the State Guest House, Mr. Panja said modalities of the proposed service will be worked out between the two countries.

Mr. Panja was making the statement hours before his departure ending a three-day visit here, the first by any Indian Minister to Bangladesh after the new Government was installed in New Delhi last October.

The two countries have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to institutionalise cooperation in the field of agriculture. The specific areas of cooperation will include fisheries, jute production and cultivation, animal husbandry, bio-technology, and agri-research. An official press release said the accord will promote development of cooperation in agriculture science and technology, agriculture production and agro- processing between the two neighbours.

The Agriculture Minister, Mrs. Motia Chowdhury, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Abul Hasan Chowdhury, the Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Mr. Mostafa Faruque Mohammad and the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Mr. Deb Mukharji were present.

Mr. Panja said the bus service is part of the overall idea of linking the countries of the region including Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar with a unified communication network to help movement of people and goods among them in comfort and economically.

Mr. Panja said an agreement on movement of goods between the two countries (at Benapole and Petrapole) was ready and will be signed soon.

As for passenger train, he said discussions were continuing. ``We want to have an arrangement like that in Europe where passport and visa are examined in trains to the convenience of the passengers,'' he said, adding ``discussions are taking place in that direction.''

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Pak. plays down U.S. statement
Next     : Pak. again fails to become IORARC member