A 496-km long historic road link between Guwahati and Dhaka via Shillong and Sylhet that was snapped by the Partition, was reopened on Wednesday morning with the Assam Public Works Department Minister Ajanta Neog flagging off the trial run of the Guwahati-Dhaka bus service via Shillong and Dawki border point in Meghalaya at the Inter State Bus Terminus here.
A beautifully decorated deluxe air-conditioned bus of the Assam State Transport Corporation left with a joint delegation of India and Bangladesh for a technical survey of the route for starting a regular bus service between Guwahati and Dhaka via Shillong and Dawki border point in Meghalaya to facilitate passenger movement between the two South Asian neighbours through a third route. India and Bangladesh started first bus service between Kolkata and Dhaka in 1995 and another connecting Agartala and Dhaka in 2002.
“We sincerely believe and also hope that the road connectivity between the two countries will also promote and enhance the prospects of trade and commerce,” said Ms Neog at a function in presence of members of the joint delegation before flagging off the trial run. She said that the Assam government had been making efforts in cooperation with the Government of India for reopening the historic route that was functional before Independence and starting a direct bus service between Guwahati and Dhaka to facilitate passenger movement and boost trade and commerce.
Speaking on the occasion Joint Secretary (Administration), Ministry of Home Affairs, Bangladesh Sheikh Abdul Ahad hoped that a new avenue would be opened for people of both the countries. He said that the duty of the members of the joint delegation would be to embolden the initiative of both the countries.
The ASTC bus took the delegation to Borapani in Meghalaya from where they travelled in a smaller bus up to Dawki border to better negotiate the curves on the hilly stretch from Borapani to Dawki via Shillong. Across the border the delegation will be travelling in a bus of Bangladesh. After a night halt in Sylhet, the delegation will leave for Dhaka on Thursday morning to conclude the survey. The Indian part of the route from Guwahati to Dawki is 196 km long while the Bangladesh part from Tamabil border point to Dhaka via Sylhet is 300-km.
Secretary, Transport Government of Assam Dhruba Hazarika told journalists that a regular bus service on the route was expected to start in two months time after the joint delegation submitted the survey report and the modalities were worked out.
