India, B'desh Announce New Train Service Between Rajshahi and Kolkata

New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) India and Bangladesh on Saturday announced a new train service between Rajshahi and Kolkata and a new bus service between Chittagong and Kolkata.

The announcement came following a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi.

Hasina arrived here on Friday, becoming the first foreign leader to make a bilateral incoming visit to India after Modi became the prime minister for the third straight term.

Following the talks, the two sides also announced a slew of new measures to boost connectivity and trade.

It was announced that a passenger train between Kolkata and Rajshahi will commence service soon. A goods train on Bangladesh Railways from Gede-Darshana to Haldibari-Chilahati cross-border interchange point will also begin a trial run next month.

A new bus service between Kolkata and Chittagong will also be rolled out.

India will provide a grant for building an inland container depot at Sirajganj in Bangladesh.

In his remarks, Modi described people-to-people contacts as the foundation of ties between the two nations and said India will launch an e-medical visa facility for people from Bangladesh coming to India for medical treatment.

India has also decided to open a new assistant high commission in Rangpur.

The two sides have signed 10 agreements providing for bolstering ties in a range of critical areas such as digital domain, maritime sphere, blue economy, railways, space, green technology, health and medicine. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed.)