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Indo-Bangladeshi goods train service soon
By Haroon Habib DHAKA, JULY 4. The much-awaited goods train service between India and
Bangladesh through the Benapole- Petrapole border points will resume in two
or three days as the railway authorities of the two sides signed a ``working
agreement'' here today reviving the historic rail route. But, the route will not ensure movement of passenger trains between the
neighbouring countries as both the governments are yet to decide on the
issue, an official said. The Additional Director General of Bangladesh Railways, Mr. N. M.Khurshid
Anwar, and the Additional Member (Traffic) of Indian Railway Board, Mr.
Swarup Kumer Gupta, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides
at Railway Bhaban here. The route, fifth of its kind for both the countries, was introduced by the
British Government in 1884 and had remained non-operative since 1974 due to
no commercial viability. In 1994, the then BNP Government led by Begum
Khaleda Zia formed a committee headed by the then Shipping Secretary, Mr.
Waliul Islam, to assess feasibility of the route. Soon after assuming office
in mid-1996 the present Awami League Government took initiative to revive the
rail link by upgrading infrastructure and restored train operation on the
Jessore-Benapole abandoned route leading to the Benapole-Petrapole route last
year. Bangladesh officials said the route would cut short 63 km. road compared
to the best used nearby Darshana-Gethe route to Dhaka and facilitate smooth
traffic of seven lakh tonnes of expected import-export items a year.
According to the agreement, goods train from both the sides will be allowed
at Benapole and Petrapole from where Bangladesh Railways and Indian Railways
will take wagons of the counterparts to the destination. The other routes are: Shahbazpur-Mohishashon, Rohanpur-Sinhabad,
Birol-Radhikapur and Darshana-Gethe, through which Bangladesh Railways
carried 63,000 tonnes of export items and 17 lakh tonnes of imported goods
last year. Soon after signing the agreement, both the sides expressed their
satisfaction and hoped that with the revival of the agreement transportation
costs will come down remarkably. ``Traffic congestion at the Benapole border
land port will be eased as businessmen are expected to prefer rail for
trucks,'' the Director General of Bangladesh Railways, Mr. Mohammad Abdur
Rahim, said. Replying to a question on introduction of passenger train on the
route, he said, ``It depends on two governments.'' He, however, said if the Government takes a decision, Bangladesh Railways
can meet the requirements. ``Yes, we are also ready to run passenger trains
on this route,'' Mr. Gupta echoed Mr. Rahim. Mr. Khurshid Anwar said
Bangladesh Railways could meet 60 per cent of the total demand in the past
but now it would meet the full demand. |
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