GUWAHATI: A bus en route to Kolkata from Agartala was “attacked” in Bangladesh, Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury alleged. He said the incident occurred in the Brahmanbaria district on Saturday. There were 28 passengers – 17 Indians and 11 Bangladeshi nationals – when the bus left Agartala. It is owned by Bangladesh’s Shyamoli Paribahan.
“A bus from Tripura to Kolkata came under an attack on the Bishwa Road in Brahmanbaria of Bangladesh. The bus was maintaining its lane when a goods-laden truck intentionally hit it. Right at that time, an autorickshaw came in front of the bus, leading to a collision,” Chowdhury wrote on Facebook, sharing some photos of the bus and people.
He alleged that the locals began threatening the Indian passengers after the mishap. “They shouted anti-India slogans and threatened the Indian passengers with dire consequences,” the Tripura minister further said.
He condemned the incident and urged Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety of Indian passengers.
Chief Minister Manik Saha said he had received information about the attack on the bus and was trying to get more details.
The road travel between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh cuts the distance by more than half. It takes more than 30 hours to reach Kolkata from Agartala if one travels by a train that goes through Assam.
The Agartala-Dhaka bus service was introduced in 2003 following the signing of a bilateral agreement. The direct bus service from Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala was started in 2015. However, it was suspended in March 2020 following the outbreak of Covid-19. The service resumed post-pandemic but it became irregular in the wake of the political unrest in Bangladesh.