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Transport between India and Bangladesh

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Map of Bangladesh with existing rail and road links.

Transport between India and Bangladesh bears much historical and political significance for both countries, which possessed no ground transport links for 43 years, starting with the partition of Bengal and India in 1947. The Kolkata–Dhaka Bus (1999) and the Dhaka–Agartala Bus (2001) are the primary road links between the two countries; a direct Kolkata-Agartala running through Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh is being developed by both countries. The Maitree Express (Friendship Express) was launched to revive a railway link between Kolkata and Dhaka that had been shut for 43 years.[1]

Background

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History

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See also: List of massacres in Bangladesh and Human rights and minority persecution in Bangladesh

The partition of Bengal and India on 15 August 1947 led to the establishment of the Indian state of West Bengal; East Bengal became a province of the state of Pakistan. The hostile bilateral relations between the two nations made transport links very limited, despite the cultural and commercial links between West and East Bengal. At the outbreak of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the only railway link between Dhaka and Kolkata was shut down, and not resumed until 2008 with the launch of the Maitree Express.

After the establishment of Bangladesh following the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971, bilateral relations improved considerably, but the two governments moved slowly on implementing a 1980 agreement on improving transport links.[2] In the 1990s, the Indian and Bangladeshi governments collaborated to open bus services between Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal and one of the largest cities in India, and Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. In 2001, another bus service was launched to connect Dhaka with Agartala, the capital of the Indian state of Tripura the second largest city of Northeast India that borders Bangladesh in the east.

India-Bangladesh borders

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Both share physical land as well as maritime borders:

International transport connection frameworks

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See also: South Asian Free Trade Area

India's Look-East connectivity policy has resulted in the launch of several connectivity projects with neighbouring countries to the east, including Bangladesh, Myanmar and ASEAN nations.

India-Bangladesh transport and other strategic inter-linkages, such as energy and internet, etc are driven by both the bilateral agreements as well as the following international cooperation frameworks many of which are facilitated by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)'s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):[3]

Regional Connectivity Frameworks
Framework Countries Explanation
BBIN MVA Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement for regional connectivity
BCIM Economic Corridor Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar Economic corridor initiative[3]
BIMSTEC Connectivity Projects Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand Regional cooperation projects[3]
SAARC Route Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka South Asian regional connectivity framework[3]
SASEC Corridors Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka Subregional economic cooperation program[3]
Silk Route (China's initiative with multiple partner countries) Part of China's Belt and Road Initiative[3]
Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) Network (Pan-Asian network including Bangladesh and India) On 5 May 2007, Bangladesh announced it would join the agreement. Includes three lines between India and Myanmar through Bangladesh.[4] India announced participation on 17 May 2007 with projects worth ₹29.41 billion (US$730 million).[5] Bangladesh signed on 10 November 2007.[6]

Aerial services

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See also: Civil aviation in India and Civil aviation in Bangladesh

Cities connected

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Direct air connections between Bangladeshi and Indian cities (as of 2025)
Bangladeshi City Indian City Bangladeshi Airlines Indian Airlines
Chittagong Delhi None SpiceJet[7]
Kolkata Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Regent Airways, US-Bangla Airlines[8][9] None
Mumbai None SpiceJet[7]
Chennai US-Bangla Airlines (via Chittagong)[9] IndiGo
Dhaka Delhi Biman Bangladesh Airlines[8][9] Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet[7]
Guwahati None SpiceJet (Discontinued)[10]
Kolkata Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Novoair, Regent Airways, US-Bangla Airlines[8][9] IndiGo[7]
Mumbai None Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet[7]
Chennai US-Bangla Airlines (via Chittagong)[9] IndiGo

Airlines between India-Bangladesh

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Airlines operating between Bangladesh and India (2025)
Airline Country Route(s) Notes
Biman Bangladesh Airlines  Bangladesh Dhaka–Kolkata, Chittagong–Kolkata, Dhaka–Delhi Bangladesh's national carrier; resumed Dhaka–Delhi flights in 2019 after 6-year gap[8]
Regent Airways  Bangladesh Dhaka–Kolkata, Chittagong–Kolkata Private Bangladeshi airline[9]
US-Bangla Airlines  Bangladesh Dhaka–Kolkata, Chittagong–Kolkata, Dhaka–Chennai (via Chittagong) First Bangladeshi airline to operate flights to South India[9]
Novoair  Bangladesh Dhaka–Kolkata Private Bangladeshi airline[9]
Air India  India Delhi–Dhaka, Mumbai–Dhaka India's flag carrier
IndiGo  India Chennai–Dhaka, Delhi–Dhaka, Mumbai–Dhaka, Kolkata–Dhaka
SpiceJet  India Kolkata–Dhaka, Kolkata–Chittagong, Delhi–Dhaka, Mumbai–Dhaka Briefly operated Guwahati–Dhaka route in 2019 before discontinuing[7][10]

Railway

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See also: Bangladesh Railway and Indian Railway

The complete rail links, including the historical links, between India & Bangladesh and their current status is as follows:

Rail service by crossing points

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Crossing Point (India) Crossing Point (Bangladesh) Status Current train services Historical train services Ref
Gede, West Bengal Darshana Active Maitree Express and freight trains East Bengal Express, East Bengal Mail [11]
Petrapole, West Bengal Benapole Active Bandhan Express and freight trains Barisal Express [11]
Singhabad, West Bengal Rohanpur Active Freight trains only [11]
Radhikapur, West Bengal Biral Active Freight trains only [11]
Haldibari, West Bengal Chilahati Active Mitali Express [11]
Changrabandha, West Bengal Burimari Inactive
Mahisasan, Assam Shahabaz Pur Being restored [12] [12]
Agartala, Tripura Akhaura Active [13]
Belonia, Tripura Feni Under construction [12]

Rail service by frontiers

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The Bangladesh border is conceptualised as consisting of two frontiers, east and west, separated by Brahmaputra River (the lower end of which is also called the Padma River) flowing north to south through the centre of Bangladesh, dividing the nation into two vertical halves.

Indian crossing Bangladeshi crossing Frontier

[rail-note 1]

Status Current train services Historical train services
Gede Darshana Western Current Maitree Express and freight trains East Bengal Express, East Bengal Mail[14]
Petrapole Benapole Western Current Bandhan Express and freight trains Barisal Express[14]
Singhabad Rohonpur Western Current Freight
Radhikapur Biral Western Current Freight
Haldibari Chilahati Western Current Mitali Express
Changrabandha Burimari Western Inactive [rail-note 2]
Mahishasan Shahbazpur Eastern Being restored [rail-note 3]
Agartala Akhaura Eastern Being restored [rail-note 4]
  1. ^ Based on the Bangladeshi frontier
  2. ^ Currently inactive but slated for restoration.
  3. ^ A meter gauge line existed but was discontinued. Slated to be restored.
  4. ^ A new line being is developed by IRCON, cost to be borne by India. Land acquisition for the ongoing Agartala-Akhaura new railway connectivity project was complete in both countries in October 2017 and laying of tracks will be completed in 2018.

Details of rail services

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Train Name Year Started Route Distance Frequency Notes
Maitree Express 2008 Kolkata – Dhaka Cantonment 393 km 5 days a week First passenger rail service between India and Bangladesh after 43 years
Bandhan Express 2017 Kolkata – Khulna via Petrapole–Benapole border N/A N/A Recreates route of defunct Barisal Express; added Jessore Junction stop in 2019
Mitali Express 2021 New Jalpaiguri railway station – Dhaka Cantonment railway station via Haldibari–Chilahati border N/A Bi-weekly Launched during Bangladesh's independence golden jubilee celebrations

Proposed new rail connections

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See also: Northeast railway connectivity projects

On 28 October 2017, Bangladesh Railway Minister Mujibal Haque said that India and Bangladesh are working on reconnecting railway lines in 12 places, which were cut off after partition of the country in 1947. India sponsored rail bridges on Titas and the Bhoirab rivers in Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh were completed.[15]

Roads

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Road corridors

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Since the 1980s, the Indian and Bangladeshi governments have sought to negotiate an agreement permitting commercial vehicles to pass through Bangladeshi highways to reach the northeastern states of India from the west; a concept described in India as the "Bangla Corridor."[16] Such an arrangement is being promoted for its benefit to bilateral commerce, the transport cost reduction for Indian businesses and additional revenue for Bangladesh.[2][17] In 2006, both governments began working on a proposal to provide a bus service directly connecting Kolkata with Agartala, the capital of the Indian state of Tripura, which borders eastern Bangladesh.[18] As of 2007, travelling distance through Indian territory is an estimated 1,700 km (1,056 mi), but a direct road link via Dhaka would shorten the travelling distance to an estimated 400 km (249 mi),[16] considerably reducing the costs of transport for Indian businesses, which have to transport goods and services through the narrow "Chicken's Neck" territory that is bordered by northern Bangladesh and southern Nepal. However, such an arrangement has been politically sensitive in Bangladesh.[16]

Existing corridors

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Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala route: On 2 June 2015, the first trial run of a direct bus between Kolkata and Agartala ran, a route distance of 500 km, as compared to the 1650 km if it ran through the Chicken's Neck to remain within India. This bus made an overnight stop in Dhaka.[19] General service began on 7 June, and the first bus was flagged off by political leaders including Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, and Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Bannerjee.[20]

Proposed new road corridors

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Proposed India-Bangladesh cross-border transport corridors
Scope Project Route Status Purpose Reference
East-to-West Delhi–Dhaka–Yangon Trilateral Highway Delhi → Kolkata → Dhaka → Myanmar Conceptualized under BIMSTEC Pan-regional connectivity [21]
West Frontier Bhanga–Kolkata Expressway (via Padma Bridge) Dhaka → Bhanga → Petrapole → Kolkata Under discussion (2023) Reduce Dhaka-Kolkata travel to 6-7 hours [22]
Hili-Dinajpur Economic Corridor Hili → Dinajpur → Bogura → Dhaka Proposed under BBIN MVA Connect NW Bangladesh with West Bengal [23]
East Frontier Silchar-Sylhet Highway Silchar → Sutarkandi → Sheola → Sylhet Approved (2022) Northeast India to Chittagong Port [24]
Agartala-Chittagong Corridor Agartala → Akhaura → Chittagong Port MoU signed (2023) Northeast connectivity to Chittagong [25]

Bus service

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Existing bus services

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Route Frequency Travel Time Route Details Operators References
Dhaka→Kolkata (West Bengal) Daily ~12 hours Dhaka→Benapole (Bangladesh)→Petrapole (India)→Kolkata West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) [26]
Dhaka–Agartala (Tripura) Daily ~3 hours Dhaka → Akhaura (Bangladesh) → Agartala (India) BRTC & Tripura Road Transport Corporation [27]
Kolkata–Dhaka–Guwahati (Assam) Operational (limited trips) ~?? hours Kolkata → Dhaka → Sylhet → Dawki (India) → Guwahati WBTC & BRTC [28]
Siliguri (West Bengal)–Dhaka Operational (limited trips) ~?? hours Siliguri → Fulbari (India) → Banglabandha (Bangladesh) → Dhaka Private carriers (e.g., Shyamoli Transport) [29]

Proposed Bus Services

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Route Proposed Route Details Status/Comments References
Kolkata–Chittagong Kolkata → Petrapole → Dhaka → Chittagong Boost trade/tourism to Bangladesh's port city [30]
Shillong (Meghalaya)–Sylhet Shillong → Dawki → Tamabil (Bangladesh) → Sylhet Under discussion (2023) [31]
Delhi–Dhaka (via Varanasi) Delhi → Varanasi → Kolkata → Dhaka Long-distance; may combine rail/bus [32]

Details of select bus services

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Route Launch Date Operators Frequency & Timings Distance Duration Notes
Kolkata–Dhaka 19 June 1999 WBSTC & BRTC (also by private AC buses, e.g. Shohagh, Green Line, etc.)
  • From Dhaka: Mon, Wed, Fri at 7:00 am & 7:30 am
  • From Kolkata: Tue, Thu, Sat at 5:30 am, 8:30 am & 12:30 pm
  • No service on Sunday
  • India: 80 km
  • Bangladesh: 300 km
  • ~12.5 hrs
  • Facilitates family visits & commerce
  • Continued despite geopolitical tensions
  • Inaugurated by Sheikh Hasina
Dhaka–Agartala 11 July 2001 BRTC & Indian counterpart Not specified Not specified Not specified

Connects Bangladesh with Indian state of Tripura.

Shipping

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See also: List of Bangladesh-India transboundary rivers, Freedom of navigation, and United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Bangladesh and India signed agreement to use 2 ports in Bangladesh - Mongla Port and Chittagong Port to be used for the following 4 transit routes to Northeast India:[33]

Port Routes Comments
Chittagong Port Chittagong Port-Akhaura-Agartala[33]
Chittagong-Bibirbazar-Srimantapur[33]
Mongla Port Mongla Port-Akhaura-Agartala[33]
Mongla Port-Bibirbazar-Srimantapur[33]

Other connections

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Energy

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See India-Bangladesh's existing and proposed electricity grid (see also Adani Power supply to Bangladesh),[34] Bangladesh-India Friendship pipeline (BIFP, 130 km long diesel supply to Bangladesh),[35][36] proposed Myanmar-Bangladesh-India LNG pipeline (to supply LNG from Myanmar to Bangladesh and Tripura in India), and internet connectivity.[37]

Internet

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In 2025, while Bangladesh provides internet connectivity to Northeast India, a proposal for India to directly route internet cables through Bangladesh to Northeast Asia was declined. Bangladesh opted to maintain authority over the traffic traversing its territory via its own monitoring agencies, leading India to explore alternative solutions for its connectivity needs.[38]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Kolkata-Dhaka Moitree Express flagged off". The Times of India. Times Internet Limited. 14 April 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2008.
  2. ^ a b Malhotra, Jyoti (18 June 1999). "Bus maps the route to better Indo-Bangla ties". expressindia.com. The Indian Express. Retrieved 21 April 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Bangladesh rail connectivity, UNESCAP, accessed 23 Apr 2025.
  4. ^ "Bangladesh To Join 8,750-Mile Trans-Asian Railway Network". 6 May 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2007.
  5. ^ "India to join the Trans-Asian railway network". 17 May 2007. Retrieved 17 May 2007.
  6. ^ "Bangladesh joins Trans-Asian Railway Network Agreement". 10 November 2007. Archived from the original on 12 November 2007. Retrieved 12 November 2007.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "SpiceJet to start non-stop flights to Dhaka from these 3 cities from tomorrow". Live mint. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d "Biman to resume Dhaka-Delhi flight as Jet Air bows out". The Daily Star. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Ibne Kamal, Md Ashequl Morsalin. "US-Bangla starts operating flights to Chennai, Kolkata". UNB. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  10. ^ a b "SpiceJet suspends Guwahati-Dhaka direct flight service". Northeast Now. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Starting of freight trains via restored Haldibari (India) – Chilahati (Bangladesh) rail link". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  12. ^ a b c "Assam as India's Gateway to ASEAN" (PDF). Asian Development Bank.
  13. ^ "Rail Links with Bangladesh". www.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  14. ^ a b Thapliyal, Sangeeta. "India-Bangladesh Transportation Links: A Move for Closer Cooperation". Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Archived from the original on 12 October 2000. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  15. ^ "India and Bangladesh to restore snapped railway lines: Mujibal Haque", The Economic Times 28 October 2017.
  16. ^ a b c Abdi, SNM (13 March 2006). "Kolkata-Agartala bus link gets a major push forward". dnaindia.com. Diligent Media Corporation Ltd. Retrieved 21 April 2008.
  17. ^ "Calcutta-Dhaka passenger bus route soon". expressindia.com. The Indian Express. 2 July 1998. Retrieved 21 April 2008.
  18. ^ Islam, Zahedul. "Bangladesh to Propose New Bus Service Linking Two Indian Cities". redOrbit. redOrbit.com. Retrieved 21 April 2008.
  19. ^ "Kolkata-Agartala Bus Reaches Tripura on Trial Run". NDTV. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  20. ^ Khanna, Rohit (7 June 2015). "Kolkata-Agartala bus service via Dhaka flagged off". Times of India. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  21. ^ "BIMSTEC pushes India-Bangladesh-Myanmar highway." The Diplomat, 2021.
  22. ^ "India-Bangladesh plan expressway via Padma Bridge." The Daily Star, 2023.
  23. ^ "Hili-Dinajpur route to ease cargo movement." The Financial Express, 2022.
  24. ^ "Silchar-Sylhet road link to boost trade." The Hindu, 2022.
  25. ^ "Agartala-Chittagong road link to cut Northeast's isolation." The Economic Times, 2023.
  26. ^ "Dhaka-Kolkata bus service resumes after 20 months." The Daily Star, 2022.
  27. ^ "Dhaka-Agartala bus service launched." The Hindu, 2015.
  28. ^ "India-Bangladesh bus service to Guwahati begins." The Times of India, 2018.
  29. ^ "Siliguri-Dhaka bus service via Panitanki." The Telegraph India, 2019.
  30. ^ "India-Bangladesh to launch Chittagong-Kolkata bus." bdnews24.com, 2021.
  31. ^ "Shillong-Sylhet bus link proposed." The Shillong Times, 2023.
  32. ^ "Delhi-Dhaka bus service plan under review." The Business Standard, 2022.
  33. ^ a b c d e Bangladesh allows four transit routes to India., ET Infra, 6 Aug 2023.
  34. ^ "Adani Power inks PPA with Bangladesh Power Development Board". Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 8 November 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  35. ^ "PM Modi, Sheikh Hasina inaugurate India-Bangladesh oil pipeline construction". India Today. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  36. ^ "Cabinet approves use of Bangladesh ports for Indian shipments to North-East". The Financial Express. 17 September 2018. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  37. ^ Plans Underway to Revive LNG Pipeline Linking India to Myanmar and Bangladesh, 29 Jan 2023.
  38. ^ Bangladesh caps Indian bandwidth imports at 50%, aiming to boost submarine cable usage to 70% and allocate 10% to satellite, ET infra, 21 Feb 2025.
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