Agartala (Tripura) [India], February 22 (ANI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, on Saturday, welcomed the initiative to resume the Indo-Bangla bus service connecting Agartala with Kolkata via Dhaka, describing the move as a positive step in strengthening bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh.

The Royal Maitri international bus service had remained suspended for the past year due to political turmoil in the neighbouring country, which led to a sharp decline in passenger numbers and visa-related complications.

'I welcome the move to resume Indo-Bangla bus service connecting Agartala with Kolkata via Dhaka. The uncertainty gets over with the formation of an elected government in Bangladesh. This is a good sign in bilateral ties. We hope other issues will be addressed,' the Chief Minister told ANI today.

A year after the suspension, authorities of the Royal Maitri international bus service brought a bus from Dhaka to the Krishnanagar bus depot in West Tripura. On Saturday morning, the bus departed for Kolkata via Dhaka, marking a significant step towards restoring cross-border connectivity.

According to Samir Roy, Vice Chairman of the Tripura Road Transport Corporation, the service was halted due to the political situation in Bangladesh, which resulted in an all-time low in passenger demand and visa-related challenges.

'Due to this, the number of passengers had fallen sharply, and visa problems prompted us to shut down the service. With the situation improving in Bangladesh, we want to resume bus service by next week,' Roy said.

On the issue of official clearance, transport official Manoranjan Debnath stated that no fresh permission was required to restart operations, as the bilateral agreement between India and Bangladesh signed in 2001 remains valid. He said the bus that departed from the Krishnanagar bus depot in Agartala on Saturday was part of a trial run, which will continue for the next two to three days. Once the system stabilises, the service is expected to operate three times a week.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner Hasan Al Abdul Ulayee told ANI that visa issuance for travellers has resumed from Saturday, although a formal public notification is expected to be released on Monday.

Residents of Tripura have expressed happiness over the development, as a significant number of passengers regularly travel to Dhaka and other cities in Bangladesh for business, medical, and personal purposes. The resumption of the bus service is expected to ease travel and further enhance people-to-people by connectivity between the two countries. (ANI)