DHAKA: finally a train between India and Bangladesh started flowing after 43 years since the tension between India and Pakistan.
The first "Maitree Express" left Dhaka for the eastern Indian city of Kolkata in the morning with nearly 500 passengers. And one more important thing is that another specially painted train left Kolkata for Dhaka at almost at the same time, officials said. "It is a journey down memory lane," said Rangalal Chowdhury, 62, who left Bangladesh after passing school examinations, in Kolkata.
"I heard a lot about the train service from my parents. Now it is going to be resumed, so I never wanted to miss this opportunity. I am happy to be part of this historic moment," said a passenger.
As an officer added "Thousands of people on both sides of the India-Bangladesh border have relatives on the other side, and many Bangladeshis also travel to Kolkata, capital of West Bengal state, and other Indian cities to seek medical treatment, officials said. "Now the visit to India by students, patients, businessmen and tourists will be cheaper and easier,"
"It's a historic moment for both the nations," Pranab Mukherjee, India's external affairs minister, said after sounding a horn to start the journey of the train from Kolkata. With one-way tickets starting from $8, the service is expected to strengthen ties between the people of both the nations, Mukherjee said. The passenger train service between India and Bangladesh was suspended after the 1965 war between India and Pakistan, when Bangladesh was the eastern province of Pakistan.
Between Dhaka and Kolkata, a 500 km journey would last for 14 hours including the time of around 6 hours seems to be taken up by customs and immigration formalities at the border.
In the beginning the trips would be twice a weak but frequency seemed to increase in future.
