GUWAHATI/SHILLONG: The trail run of Guwahati (India) -Dhaka (Bangladesh) bus service, the third road route being developed by the two neighbouring countries, was flagged off from Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Guwahati on Wednesday.
The bus service, to run via Shillong and Dawki in Meghalaya before entering Bangladesh, was flagged off by Assam’s PWD Minister Ajanta Neog.
Bus services between Kolkata (started in 1995) and Agartala (started in 2002) to Dhaka are already operational.
The air conditioned bus of the ASTC embarked on the trial run with a select group of passengers including a joint delegation of high officials of India and Bangladesh.
There are two legs in the entire journey from Guwahati to Dhaka (496 Km). The 196 km long first leg of the journey stretches from Guwahati to Dawki on Meghalaya Bangladesh border.
In the second leg the delegation will be transshipped to Dhaka by a separate bus service of Bangladesh from Dawki point on Meghalaya-Bangladesh border through a 300km-long journey via Sylhet in Bangladesh.
A seven-member delegation of Bangladesh officials is travelling in the bus on the trial run.
The Indian delegation comprised of eight officials from Ministries of Road Transport and Highways, External Affairs, Home and Finance, four officials each from Assam and Meghalaya.
The trial run is meant for officials of both the countries to assess the route condition, estimate the actual journey time for a regular bus service in the route , number of stoppages required along the route, arrangements for tourists and other travelers at the Dawki border point for checking of travel documents. “The delegation is will submit a report on the details and feasibility of starting of the regular bus services,” Assam Government Joint commissioner of transport Bipulananda Pathak, who is a part of the delegation, said while speaking to a group of journalists at Orchid Lake Resort in Umiam.
According to Pathak, the negotiation between India and Bangladesh for starting the bus services from Guwahati and Shillong was going on for the past several months.
Informing that there are four routes through Assam which leads to Bangladesh, he however said that this route via Meghalaya is the shortest route to reach Bangladesh.
“It is for this reason that they have chosen this route to conduct this trial run,” Pathak said.
The seven-member Bangladesh delegation led by its joint secretary of the ministry of home affairs Sheikh Abdul Ahad also underlined the need to improve the road infrastructure. “There is a room for improvement on the road infrastructure on the Indian side in some stretches on Meghalaya side. I am sure they are going to further improve it”, Ahad said.
Meanwhile, Road Transport and Highways official W Blah, who is also a part of the delegation, said that work of a new Dawki bridge could not be started due to the non-availability of qualified contractor.
Interestingly, the foundation of the 165 metre long bridge — Dawki bridge — over Umngot river was laid on November 13, 2009 by then Union minister of state for road transport and highways Mahadev S. Khandela.
The bridge was slated for completion way back in 2011. (With inputs from Our Guwahati Correspondent and staff reporter)
