Dhaka-Guwahati Biman flight

Biman Bangladesh Airlines will fly twice a week to Guwahati from Dhaka from July 1.

The Bangladesh government has approved the national carrier’s flight plan to bolster connectivity with India’s landlocked north-eastern region.

This was stated by a Meghalaya government official on Thursday quoting Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tariq A Karim.

Karim had a meeting with Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma in Shillong on Wednesday.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines would initially use their ATR aircrafts for the route but is likely to deploy sophisticated Boeing 737s in the future, depending on the route’s economic viability, the High Commissioner reportedly told the Meghalaya government.

India's Jet Airways, which in October 2012 had scrapped its scheduled flights between Dhaka and Guwahati, has reportedly also shown interest to resume its service on the same route.

Earlier, talking to journalists, Karim had expressed his country’s “keen interest” in improving connectivity with India's northeast, and Meghalaya, in particular, in view of their close proximity.

Karim said the Bangladesh government was studying the Meghalaya government’s proposal for establishing 22 border ‘haats’ (traditional markets) along the international border with the state.

“Meghalaya government had requested the opening of 22 more border haats, which is under examination and other states have also requested for the same. My government is considering the proposal,” Karim said.

Karim conveyed to Sangma his country’s keenness to take forward the proposal of the Meghalaya government.

“I have taken personal interest to promote closer relationship with the Northeastern states. I call this a rediscovering and reconnecting with each other (Bangladesh and northeast),” Karim said.

Describing the suggestion of the Meghalaya government to open more border haats as innovative, Karim said, “The two border haats (Balat and Kalaichar), which were first established between Bangladesh and India, were in Meghalaya, and two more were with Tripura. So, four border haats are operating now.”

Sangma and Karim also discussed roads, inland water ways and air connectivity. “We are once again thinking in terms of river connectivity along the Brahmaputra Basin because river transport is environment friendly,” Karim said.

Sangma informed that that the proposal for a Dhaka-Sylhet-Shillong bus service would be taken up at the appropriate level.

The meeting also discussed the need to upgrade the Tamabil-Dawki land custom stations on the international border Meghalaya shares with Bangladesh.