AGARTALA: Three days after Tarique Rahman assumed office as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, trial runs of the Agartala–Dhaka direct bus service were undertaken, signalling possible resumption of commercial operations after being suspended for more than a year amid a halt in visa services and strained bilateral relations.A luxury bus covering a distance of 155 km from Dhaka arrived in Agartala through the Akhaura Integrated Check Post on Friday and returned to Dhaka from the Tripura Road Transport Corporation (TRTC) depot in Agartala on Saturday morning, completing the cross-border trial run.

Officials said the development followed directives from the new Bangladeshi administration and added that, if preparations proceed as planned, the Agartala–Dhaka bus service could resume shortly.The service was halted in August 2024 following strained bilateral relations after the removal of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from office.The cross-border bus service between the two cities was launched in 2003. It was briefly interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic and later resumed in June 2022.With a new govt in power in Bangladesh and the domestic situation stabilising, authorities have moved to revive the route, which links Tripura to Kolkata via Dhaka and facilitates travel between India’s northeastern region and eastern states through Bangladesh.An official said, “Tourist visa services from Bangladesh to Agartala will also be initiated soon, making travel more convenient for tourists, traders, and families who share deep-rooted social and cultural ties across borders.”Tripura CM Manik Saha said, “I welcome the move to resume India-Bangladesh bus service connecting Agartala with Kolkata via Dhaka. The uncertainty is over with the formation of an elected government in Bangladesh. This is a good sign in bilateral ties. We hope other issues will also be addressed.”The fare for the roughly 500-km journey from Agartala to Kolkata via Dhaka has been fixed at ₹2,800.