Agartala–Dhaka–Kolkata bus service resumption to benefit Bangladesh: Tripura CM
Trial runs of the service began on Saturday with a bus departing from the Krishnanagar depot in Agartala for Dhaka
File image of a bus operating under the Agartala–Dhaka–Kolkata service. (Photo:@TinaRoy42001/X)
Agartala, Feb 21: The cross-border bus service linking Agartala, Dhaka and Kolkata is likely to resume regular operations soon, ending a suspension that lasted over a year.
Trial runs of the Agartala–Dhaka–Kolkata bus service began on Saturday, with a bus departing from the Krishnanagar depot in Agartala for Dhaka.
“This will continue for two or three days. Once the system is stable, we will restart the bus service thrice a week,” said Manoranjan Debnath, Manager of the International Bus Service Operator.
He added that no fresh permission is required to restart operations as the intergovernmental agreement remains in force.
“We halted the bus service because of a shortage of passengers. The number of passengers had fallen to an all-time low. Besides, there was the visa problem. These factors prompted us to shut down the service. With the situation improving in Bangladesh, we want to resume bus services from next week,” he said.
The Royal-Maitri international bus service had remained suspended for the past year amid political turmoil in Bangladesh. With conditions improving, services are now set to resume.
Tripura Road Transport Corporation (TRTC) Vice-Chairman Samar Roy said the schedule for regular operations would be announced on February 28 after assessing the outcome of the trial runs.
Expressing hope that the development would help ease recent strains in bilateral ties, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said the restoration of connectivity would significantly boost trade.
“The uncertainty is now over with the formation of an elected government in Bangladesh. This is a good sign for bilateral ties. We hope other issues will also be addressed,” Saha told the press on Saturday.
He stressed that the move would improve the economic prospects of both countries. “In fact, Bangladesh will benefit more from us in the future,” he added.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission (AHC) in Agartala has begun issuing visas in special cases. Earlier, the Bangladesh AHC in Agartala had suspended all visa and consular services at the mission on December 23, 2025, citing “unavoidable circumstances”.
With inputs from agencies.