Two buses have left Dhaka for Kathmandu as part of a test to establish a direct road line to Nepal via India.
The two Shyamoli NR Travels buses, under the supervision of the BTRC, left the Kamlapur BRTC International Bus Terminal at 9:00am on Monday.
A 44-member delegation led by the BRTC chairman is going on this journey to Kathmandu, Road Transport and Highways Division Joint Secretary Ehsan E Elahi said when contacted by bdnews24.
“Twenty-five officials from different Bangladesh ministries and organisations are part of this delegation. There are also 11 Indians, six Nepalese, and two officials from the Asian Development Bank.”
The bus will stop at Rangpur overnight on Monday before travelling to Siliguri. The overnight stop on Tuesday night will be at Nepal’s Kakarvitta. The delegation will reach Kathmnandu on Apr 26.
The delegation will attend a tri-nation meeting of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal in Kathmandu on Apr 27, Elahi said.
The discussion will centre on the experiences of the 1,100km journey from Dhaka to Kathmandu, scrutinising the possibility of establishing regular bus service and setting fares for the trip, he said.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) agreed to a road transport agreement in Bhutan’s Thimpu in 2015. But Bhutan’s withdrawal from the agreement raised doubts as to its implementation.
The remaining three countries in the agreement later undertook a passenger bus initiative. Under this new agreement Bangladesh would open four routes with India and Nepal.
Though a Transport Protocol was to be signed in Kathmandu on Apr 27, it is likely to be delayed as all sides are not yet ready, said Elahi.
