Kolkata-Agartala bus services via Dhaka resume after BNP victory

Kolkata: The resumption of the international bus service connecting Kolkata, Dhaka and Agartala after more than a year and a half has rekindled hopes of a tourism revival in central Kolkata, where thousands depend on visitors from across the border for their livelihoods.The direct bus linking Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka resumed operations on Feb 24, with the first service departing from Agartala. A few days earlier, an inaugural run was held to signal the restoration of the route, which had remained suspended since Aug 2024 amid political instability in Bangladesh and visa complications.
According to officials, the buses will initially operate twice a week, with the possibility of increasing to thrice a week in future. The revival of the route came after elections in Bangladesh earlier this month that brought the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to power with a two-thirds majority. Stakeholders on both sides described the resumption as a sign of improving bilateral relations and an emphasis on people-to-people contact.For Kolkata, however, the development carries a significance that goes beyond diplomacy and politics. In areas such as Marquis Street, Free School Street, Collin Street and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, often referred to locally as ‘Mini Bangladesh' for their concentration of hotels, eateries, currency exchanges and retail outlets catering to Bangladeshi visitors, the past 18 months have been particularly rough.Since the suspension of the bus service and the tightening of visa norms, footfall from Bangladesh dropped by nearly 80%, according to local traders. At present, most arrivals are limited to those holding medical visas. The once-steady stream of tourists dipped, and several small businesses either shut down or scaled back operations."This is a very positive development and rekindles hope of improvement in the situation in the next few days. This will be a great boon for tourism in the Marquis Street area, where thousands of people depend on tourism from across the border for their livelihoods," said Monotosh Sarkar, president of the transport association between India and Bangladesh.Traders in central Kolkata are viewing the movement of buses across the border as something more than a logistical milestone. "We feel a sense of relief with the bus service starting again," said Hyder Ali Khan, general secretary of the Free School Street Traders' Association. "If connectivity improves and visa processes ease further, we are hopeful that visitors will gradually return. But it may take some time for confidence to be fully restored."The month of Ramzan sees maximum tourists visiting Kolkata for their Eid preparations. "We hope the situation improves in the next few days so that tourists can start coming to Kolkata in time for Eid shopping," said Mohammad Intezar, a businessman in the area.