SHILLONG, DEC 10: The much talked about Guwahati-Shillong-Dhaka bus service was flagged off by Assam PWD minister Ajanta Neog as a trial run from Guwahati on Wednesday. The trial run bus will stop at Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka Friday.
Joint technical team from India and Bangladesh are the first travelers on the the trial run as they will assess the condition of the route including its technical aspects. A report to the respective governments on the feasibility of introducing regular buses along the route will be submitted by the team.
The proposed bus service will covers 500 km and travel from Guwahati through Shillong and touching southern slopes of Meghalaya’s Dawki international trading before entering Tamabil (Bangladesh)-Sylhet-Dhaka route.
Union road transport and highway ministry superintendent engineer W Blah told reporters, “The trial run of Guwahati-Dhaka bus service via Shillong aims to study and finalise the routes and start the new bus services.”
Blah, however, said that the ministry only concern is the non-starter for the construction of the new Dawki bridge due to non-availability of qualified contractor to construct the new bridge. But he hoped that the construction would start soon.
Blah is leading the Indian delegation on the trial run.
The Bangladesh seven members team is led by Bangladesh’s ministry of home affairs joint secretary Sheikh Abdul Ahad.
Ahad said that there is room for improvement of road infrastructure on the Indian side in some stretches in Meghalaya. He said, “I am sure they are going to further improve it,”
Ahad, however, said the passenger bus service will be a “win-win situation” for the people of Bangladesh and India. He said that his particular service will boost tourism industry on both sides and improve relations between India and Bangladesh in many ways.
India and Bangladesh presently have two regular bus services, one between Kolkata and Dhaka and the other between Agartala and Dhaka. – By Our Reporter
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