Dhaka, April 14 (bdnews24.com)—The Indian Maitree (Friendship) Express rolled into Dhaka's Cantonment Station Monday, on Bangla New Year's Day, with its Bangladeshi counterpart reaching Kolkata to finally restore the historic passenger rail link between the two countries after 43 years.
A festive mood had prevailed at Dhaka's Cantonment Station since morning as the Bangladeshi Maitree Express took off for Kolkata, with 517 passengers aboard, at 8.30am.
Enthusiastic passengers from home and abroad gathered at the station from 6.00 in the morning.
The long-awaited Indian train came to a stop with its 65 passengers in Dhaka at 8.37 in the evening, twelve and a half hours after leaving Kolkata -- the station welcoming its arrival with illuminations, a red carpet and a festive air.
Cantonment station master MS Zaman told bdnews24.com the train had been due at 8.30pm, amid strict security surveillance.
The first direct passenger train service between the two countries since 1965, the two Friendship Expresses crossed paths at the India-Bangladesh border.
Communications adviser Ghulam Quader, Parjatan chairman Shafique Ahmed Mehedi and regional railway manager Iqbal Mollah were among high officials present at Dhaka Cantonment Station to receive the Indian train, reports bdnews24.com's Sumon Mahbub.
As the express rolled in, a welcoming party sang Bangla songs while children offered alighting passengers roses and Rajanigandha flowers amid colourful decorations and lighting. A red carpet was rolled out for the occasion from the station platform to the exit.
Rangalal Chowdhury from India, arriving in Bangladesh for the first time since 1964, said after alighting: "It was good to have come by train. It seems this is my own country."
Chowdhury's wife Anika is visiting Bangladesh for the first time. She also told bdnews24.com: "I feel so happy I came by train."
Popular novelist of West Bengal Shirshendu Mukherjee was also among the passengers on the Indian express. Describing his experience, he told bdnews24.com: "I feel very happy. It is as if I have travelled to part of my own country. If the rail link is closed again in future it will be very sad."
He said it took some time to pass through the Indian customs and immigration, but he lauded the customs and immigration officials at the Bangladesh border.
Adviser to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka Joya Varma led an Indian delegation from Kolkata. She said: "There cannot be bigger gift than this on the Bangla New Year's day."
She said the complexities at the Indian customs and immigration end will be overcome in future.
Twenty-two journalists also rode the express train from Kolkata to Dhaka.
BBC reporter Subir Bhowmik said: "I am from Tripura. I live on the border. I have travelled to Bangladesh several times. But the experience of coming by train is different."
The Indian train, carrying 65 passengers (capacity 368), was detained by customs officials at the Indian border for almost three hours but passed rapidly through immigration checks, bdnews24.com's Kolkata correspondent reported.
The Friendship Express restores the historic train link between the two countries after the service was disrupted during the Ind-Pakistan war of 1965.
Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee saw the India-Bangladesh express off at the newly constructed Kolkata Terminus Station.
Indian railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, West Bengal governor Bhupal Krishna, Bangladesh high commissioner in India Liakat Ali Chowdhury and other top officials were present at the launching ceremony.
As the Indian express came through Angraghata at 10.30am, near the border station of Gede, protestors belonging to Nikhil Bangla Nagorik Sangha (All Bengal Citizens Council) stopped the train briefly by obstructing the tracks. After about 15 minutes, however, they withdrew their obstruction and the train safely resumed its journey.
Strict security was ensured aboard both 'friendship trains' on their inaugural runs.
Advisers Ghulam Quader, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Anwarul Iqbal and Hossain Zillur Rahman, alongside Indian high commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, were among those present at the Cantonment Station Monday morning to wave off the Maitree Express as it left Dhaka.
Ghulam Quader told bdnews24.com: "It is a historic day for Bangladesh and India. The train link will strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries."
The foreign adviser said: "The start of the train service on Pahela Baishakh (the Bangla New Year) is a good start."
Indian high commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, who was to travel aboard the train to Kolkata, said: "This is a historic moment for us. In future more such trains will be introduced."
Writer Imdadul Haq Milon, another passenger on the inaugural train journey, said the train link would increase cordiality among the people of the region.
According to the agreement, the two express trains will ply between the two cities every week. Each will leave its respective station in Kolkata and Dhaka on Saturday.
On Sundays, the train reaching Kolkata will depart on its return journey to Dhaka and the Indian train at Dhaka will start back for Kolkata.
The minimum fare for an economy class ticket is US $8 while the fare for an AC berth is US $20 one-way.
Bangladesh and India have been trying to restore a direct passenger train service between the two cities for decades, but bilateral relations had stalled the process until now.
The direct rail link snapped during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. Three decades after the liberation of Bangladesh initiatives were taken to restore the rail service in 2001. The two countries finally signed a formal agreement on April 11 this year.
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