The journey begins

As Bengalis in Bangladesh and West Bengal celebrated Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla year 1415, the passenger train service, Maitree Express, commenced on its historic journey carrying a total of 498 passengers for its inaugural trip to Kolkata from Dhaka on the same day, amidst an overwhelming response from the people. The track on which the Maitree Express is rolling is new but the hope it carries is vintage. The cantonment station was given a facelift to face the occasion.

To a few passengers traveling the train it was a journey of reminiscence, not just a train carrying passengers to a country which is divided by an international border. Sheikh Raisul Haque, a passenger from Dhaka who had visited Kolkata by train before the service snapped after the Indo-Pak war in 1965, said, ‘I went to Kolkata in 1962. At that time I was a student of Class III. My father showed me a lot of things on the way, and now I took this train to give my son the same flavour I experienced 46 years ago.’

Traveling via cross-border trains is something totally new for the people of Bangladesh as the Maitree Express is the only cross-country rail communication service in the country.

‘I have gone to Kolkata before by air and bus, but traveling in a cross-country train is a completely new experience and I am extremely excited,’ said Sharmin Rashid, a passenger on the train, before the departure.

The mood at the cantonment station on the morning of April 14 was festive. Many of the passengers were carrying the national flag. Everyone had a spark in their eyes.

India and Bangladesh share a common border of 4096 km running through five points. The two countries also share history and socio-cultural heritage.

After 43 years

Passenger train communications were snapped between Bangladesh and India in 1965 following a war between India and Pakistan when Bangladesh, the then East Pakistan, was part of Pakistan.

There were three trains from Selaidah running into East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) - The East Bengal Express, the East Bengal Mail and the Barisal Express, in the past. Unfortunately the service stopped and the integration of the people in either side of the border was hampered.

With the vision of connecting the people of the two countries, after 43 years, the railway communications have resumed finally, after constant efforts from the past and current governments of both the countries. The Dhaka- Kolkata passenger train service supplementary deal was signed on April 10, 2008 which cleared the way for the cross-border journey of trains on the Dhaka- Kolkata route.

Earlier in 2001, the Bangladesh and India governments signed the agreement to resume the railway service. The commissioning of the cross-border train which was scheduled for an August 2007 start was delayed as Bangladesh and India failed to narrow down their differences over ‘security cage’ near the no man’s land on the border of the two countries.

India insisted on erecting 150m fencing on each side of the border to prevent illegal immigrants taking advantage of the train service, but Bangladesh strongly opposed it, arguing that such fencing in the borders is against the norms of friendly relationship between Bangladesh and India. Bangladesh in view of India’s concern about passenger security rather suggested a joint security agreement along the border, which included things such as strong monitoring and improved security inside the train.

Before this historic moment, freight trains had travelled between India and Bangladesh, after an agreement in 1972 that was later suspended. Petrapole-Benapole freight train service resumed in January 2001, which has facilitated the movement of cargo through the border through which more than 70 per cent of India- Bangladesh trade takes place.

The bus service between Dhaka – Kolkata was inaugurated in July 1999, since then both government and private bus service providers operate buses regularly on the Dhaka-Kolkata route. The Dhaka- Agartala bus service was inaugurated in September 2003 and buses also run regularly in this route.

Along with the bus and train service, in accordance with the India-Bangladesh air service agreement the two countries operate 30 flights each week. Quiet a few private airlines are also operating flights between the two countries. Since 1972, through eight specific routes, river transport between the two countries is also being operated regularly.

Restoring the bond

The differences between the two countries was preventing the historic resumption, however, fortunately, the Bangladesh council of advisers in a meeting on February 24, 2008, decided to approve the Indian proposal of a construction of a box-type temporary fence on no man’s land.

The resumption of this train service will hopefully be able to restore the bond which the people living in both the countries shared in the past. ‘The Maitree Express would be reconnecting the two countries, and will surely open up new windows of opportunity in various sectors and it will also help develop co-operation among the two countries,’ opined Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka.

The Maitree Express will substantially contribute to consolidating the ties between India and Bangladesh. ‘This is a historic moment as the train service will reconnect the two countries and will reunite the people of Bengal who have been together for thousands of years. The train will increase the rate of people-to-people contact on both sides of the border,’ said the communications adviser, Ghulam Quader, at the inauguration ceremony of the Maitree Express.

The Maitree Express will link two countries which have similar culture. Many people on the other side of the border also speak the Bangla language. The people in both the countries have always demanded such a service.

‘The Maitree Express is an absolutely wonderful concept. It will link the two countries and a new chapter in the relations between these two neighboring countries will open up,’ said the British High Commissioner in Dhaka, Anwar Choudhury.

Every one is hoping that, this time, the train service will not be hampered by any sort of political crisis. ‘The people of both the countries want this service to continue forever, and the government of both the countries should keep this train service free of politics,’ says Imdaul Haq Milon, a leading writer of the country, traveling on the Maitree Express on its first trip.

The Indian high commissioner also stated that everything will fall into place once the service starts and he also hoped that the future governments will also not create any sorts of obstacles which may hamper the train service.

‘I am optimistic about the future of this cross-country train service,’ says Pinak.

Security concerns

While operations have started, some key issues of the service such as the security have to be addressed in order to run the service smoothly.

Just a day before the inaugural trip of the Maitree Express, some crude bombs were found near the tacks in a place near Bankimnagar station on the Ranagaht-Gede line in West Bengal.

On the other hand a quiet a few right- wing organisations in Kolkata protested the relaunch of the train link. On top of that, Nikhil Banga Sangha (All Bengal Citizens’ Group), comprising Hindu refugees from Bangladesh before and after 1971 recently told the BBC, ‘Why should democratic and secular India seek to develop such links with Islamic Bangladesh?’

On its inaugural trip, the train from Bangladesh was stopped for about five minutes, at the Kushpur level crossing at Nadia, a place in India by villagers who feared an increased influx of people from Bangladesh; the journey resumed after the officials assured the villagers of no such thing likely to be taking place.

Such instances make it clear that the government from both the countries would have to establish security procedures of the highest level in order to prevent any unwanted events.

The Indian government has already set up a metal structure of 150 yards on the no man’s land near Joynagar as a preparation for the train service resumption. Bangladesh has not yet set up the fences on this side of the border; it, however, hopes to complete the fencing in the border area in six months, say officials at the communications and foreign ministries.

‘We hope to maintain a high level of security, as the safety of the passengers is of immense importance. We will take all the necessary steps in order to maintain security,’ says Mohammed Sarwar Mahmood, director of the South Asia wing at the foreign ministry. Metal detectors, luggage scanners and security archways have already been set up at Darshana station (the immigration point in Bangladesh), along with a 10-member team of the railway police who have been deployed on the train for security purposes, said official sources.

Immigration and service

The immigration formalities for the passengers of the Maitree Express will be conducted at two places. It will take at least five hours to complete the immigration process at Darshana in Bangladesh and Gede in India, and the total 538km journey would take eight hours.

Many people believe that the duration of the journey is too long. The duration, especially the time needed for immigration and customs, must be reduced. ‘If the duration of the journey is not reduced, then not many passengers will travel by Maitree Express,’ says KS Zaman, a passenger from Dhaka.

Apart from reduction in the time needed for immigration formalities, many passengers who were on the inaugural trip feel that other services within the train, including the quality of food, need to be improved if one wants to attract passengers.

Initially, in accordance with the agreement signed by the two governments which runs till 2010, the Maitree Express will run twice a week. The total journey from Dhaka-Kolkata is 538 km, 418km on the Bangladesh territory and 120 km on the Indian side.

The Indian train has the capacity to carry 366 passengers and the Bangladesh train 418 passengers. The Bangladesh government would get 75 per cent of the total earnings from ticket sales on the other hand the Indian government would 25 per cent as the larger chunk of the rail tracks fall on Bangladesh territory, inform officials of the Bangladesh Railways.

The governments of both the countries have plans of extending the contract if all things go smoothly, informs official sources. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens, businessman, and many families who have been disconnected during the partition in 1947 keep their fingers crossed hoping that the Maitree Express would help establish their long lost relations.

Travel by Maitree Express

The Maitree Express travels every Saturday and Sunday at 8:30am (Bangladesh standard time) in the morning from the cantonment station, Dhaka and from Chitpur Station, Kolkata, India at 7:10am (Indian standard time). In order to travel in Moitree express an individual has to obtain a visa of India which permits that individual to go to India through the Darshana- Gede border.

One has to buy the tickets from the special booths situated at the Kamlapur Rail Station in Dhaka after obtaining the visa. The tickets are sold at the Kamlapur Station every day. Maitree Express has a total capacity of 418 passengers. There are 36 air-conditioned cabins, 80 air-conditioned chairs and 302 non air-conditioned chairs in the seven compartments.

The fare has been fixed at $20 US for berth seat, $12 for a seat in the air-conditioned compartments, and $8 for a seat in the non- air-conditioned chair coach.

Immigration formalities will be conducted at Darshana in Bangladesh and at Gede in India.

In Kolkata the tickets for this train can be obtained from the international ticket counter at Fairily Place, Kolkata.