POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Sept 7, 2026 : Initiatives have been taken to restart the passenger train service between Bangladesh and India, which was operating in the past but is currently closed. This issue will be discussed in the annual meeting between the railway authorities of the two countries. The two-day meeting will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) in Dhaka. A decision on the resumption of the three trains, Maitree Bandhan and Mitali Express, may be taken in the meeting.
Bangladesh Railway sources say that if the two countries agree, the trains are likely to start running from next month. In the same meeting, Bangladesh will also propose to start a new passenger train on the Rajshahi-Kolkata route. In addition, Bangladesh Railway will express its interest in operating the Maitree Express on the Dhaka-Kolkata route via the Padma Bridge.
The meeting of the railway authorities of the two countries is known as the Inter-Governmental Railway Meeting (IGRM). This time, the meeting will be held at the Railway Bhaban in Dhaka. The railways said that the issues to be discussed with the Indian authorities for the meeting have already been finalized.
Bangladesh Railway officials said that Indian Railways is also interested in resuming the Maitree, Bandhan and Mitali Express. However, the consent of the railway authorities of the two countries alone is not enough to start the operation of the three trains. The opinions of the foreign and home ministries of the two countries and other relevant departments will be required in this regard. Representatives of these ministries will also participate in Tuesday’s meeting.
However, the final decision on the operation of inter-country trains will come from the political level, said the officials concerned.
The IGRM meeting is held alternately in Bangladesh and India every year. The last meeting was held in New Delhi, India from January 20 to 22 last year. After several changes in the date, the meeting is being held in Dhaka this time.
Earlier, in July 2024, inter-country train operations were affected during the student-public movement. The operation of the Maitree Express was suspended on July 16. Later, the operation of the three trains Maitree, Bandhan and Mitali was stopped from July 19.
Later, despite the change in the political situation in Bangladesh, the movement of passenger trains between India and Bangladesh has not returned to normal. After a long break, formal discussions are going to be held through the IGRM meeting on the resumption of the trains.
The Maitree Express currently runs between Dhaka and Kolkata. The route of the Bandhan Express is Khulna-Kolkata and the Mitali Express is Dhaka-New Jalpaiguri. Along with the resumption of these trains, if the proposal to start a new train on the Rajshahi-Kolkata route is implemented, the concerned people believe that the inter-country rail communication between the two countries will further expand.
