Two buses carrying delegates of the three nations as a part of a trial bus service that Bangladesh and Nepal have launched between their capitals through India reached Phulbari from Dhaka today.
A delegation comprised 25 Bangladeshis, 12 Indians, six Nepalese and one official of Asian Development Bank (ADB), officials said.
The buses left Dhaka for Kathmandu yesterday and reached Siliguri, in India, around 4.15pm today, officials said.
"The delegation will leave for Nepal tomorrow," the Chairman of North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) Subol Roy, said after receiving the delegation.
The aim of the trial run is to establish communication with Nepal by road, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) chairman Fariduddin Ahmed who led the delegation said.
This will boost tourism, help tourists and businessmen
associated with the tourism industry. It will also help people who come to West Bengal for medical tourism, he said after entering India.
"A protocol is expected to be signed on the basis of the delegation's report for launching a regular and direct bus service between Dhaka and Kathmandu," Bangladesh's road transport and highways division secretary Nazrul Islam said, adding "This marks a good beginning of sub-regional connectivity".
The proposed commercial bus service comes under the purview of BBIN (Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal) Motor Vehicles Agreement, which the four countries signed in June 2015 to enable movement of passenger and cargo vehicles.
Operators say the proposed route will cut short the journey by more than 100 km, while straightening the way.
Currently, passengers use the Lalmonirhat-Burimari-Changrabandha-Siliguri route to go to Kathmandu.
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