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India and Bangladesh, along with railway officials from both countries, on Tuesday began a three-day meeting in Dhaka to work towards resuming passenger train services that had been suspended.
Speaking to ANI, Bangladesh Railway's Additional Director General (Operations), Mohammad Nazmul Islam, said, "...connections were active, which were suspended in August 2024. However, Indian freight trains continue to operate without any hindrance. Among the three passenger trains, the Maitree Express operated between Dhaka Cantonment and Chitpur (Kolkata, India); the Bandhan Express ran between Khulna and Kolkata; and the Mitali Express operated between Dhaka Cantonment and New Jalpaiguri." An inter-governmental railway meeting, known as IGRM, between India and Bangladesh is taking place now in Dhaka to resume the train services. The decision regarding when train services will resume or which specific services will restart will be made only after this IGRM meeting. Subsequent steps will be taken based on the decisions reached in the meeting, he said. He mentioned, From the Indian side, the Member (Traffic), a member of the Railway Board, is attending the meeting. Bangladesh Railway is being represented by high-ranking officials and ministry representatives. He further added, Freight train services were never stopped; they have been operating smoothly. Generally, a wide range of operational and administrative matters are discussed in the IGRM meeting. These include financial settlements and dues between both sides; accounting of train movements across the borders of both countries; annual accounting and balancing; and operational efficiency, rolling stock, and infrastructure development. Cross-border rail links between India and Bangladesh remain non-operational following their suspension amidst the widespread civil unrest in July 2024 that forced then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign, flee to India on August 5, 2024, and brought down her Awami League government. An interim administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus subsequently assumed control in Dhaka, during which bilateral relations faced persistent strains, notably concerning Hasinas continued presence in India and formal requests from Dhaka for her extradition. Following a general election held in Bangladesh on February 22, 2026, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party secured victory to succeed the Yunus-led interim government, forming a new administration under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. With India having resumed issuing tourist visas for Bangladeshis on June 27, public momentum is building for the suspended trains to be restarted for passenger convenience, making it a key agenda item for the current IGRM talks. (ANI)
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