NEW DELHI:At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is showing keenness on improving India’s relationship with neighbouring nations, the Centre has taken up rail diplomacy to improve ties with Bangladesh. The Indian government is preparing a concrete proposal for resumption of five pre-1965 rail linkages between the two countries.
The move, however, is not a unilateral one, and has been introduced on the request of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has written to Indian Railways to prepare a detailed resumption plan of rail lines that were operational prior to Bangladesh’s independence, for connectivity is important for people and is required for the overall progress of Dhaka.
The Railways has been asked to prepare a detailed plan, including infrastructural upgrade, which may be required on both sides to allow resumption of services. These include Agartala-Akhaura, Haldibari-Chilahati, Radhikapur-Birol, Mahisasan-Shahbazpur and Beloni-Feni. IRCON, an entity of the Railways, has prepared a detailed report about the Agartala-Akhaura track and has submitted it to MEA for advisory.
Three Broad Gauge inter-country rail links between the two countries are operational. There is regular passenger train service Maitree Express between Kolkata and Dhaka, which now operates for four days a week.
“Bangladesh PM has pointed out that pre-1965 linkages, especially rail and waterway, are crucial for overall progress. She has requested for a concrete proposal on specific rail services, which existed prior to 1965 and furnish it to them so as to take it up with Bangladesh,” the letter by the MEA said.
It adds that the proposal may include infra upgradation that may be required in India’s and Bangladesh side to allow such services. India is also working with the Nepal government for rail connectivity with the Himalayan nation. According to the ministry, earlier the focus was only on the Agartala-Akhaura, but now they have been asked to prepare plans for four more rail links.
After coming to power in May 2014, Modi has been stressing on South Asian cooperation. If inviting South Asian leaders to his swearing-in ceremony was one of the first steps, improving rail and road connectivity in the region has been another area of development for the NDA government.