Assam minister flags off Guwahati-Dhaka bus service

Assam's PWD Minister Ajanta Neog flagged off trial run of Guwahati-Dhaka bus service on Wednesday. The 32-seater air-conditioned bus of Assam State Transport Corporation carrying a joint delegation of officials of India and Bangladesh left Guwahati’s Inter State Bus Terminus for Dawki on Meghalaya-Bangladesh border to cover the 196-km Indian leg of the journey. From Dawki border, the delegation will be transshipped to a bus from Bangladesh to cover remaining 300-km journey to Dhaka via Sylhet. Neog flagged off the bus service in presence of senior officials from Bangladesh and India’s Meghalaya and Assam states. Assam’s minister Neog said the route was functional before independence during the British rule and now it was revived after 67 years as part of the ‘Look East Policy’ of New Delhi. The entire 496 km route from Guwahati to Dhaka would soon be opened for passenger movement to help promote trade and commerce, Neog said. India and Bangladesh currently have 2 regular bus services, 1 between Kolkata and Dhaka and the other between Agartala and Dhaka. The decision to undertake the trial run of Guwahati-Dhaka bus service was taken at the meeting of the Joint Commission between the 2 countries held on Sept 20, according to a news agency.