We welcome this valuable addition to the communications network between India and Bangladesh. It took a longer time than usual to introduce the service, considering the fact that a bilateral agreement was reached on it quite a few years ago. But better late, than never.

The service has opened up a great number of possibilities insofar as bilateral trade and commerce and people-to-people contact are concerned. The Bangladeshi businessmen have long been talking about the possibility of expanding trade ties with the eastern Indian states. So the huge trade potential that is embedded in the communication inter-span must be exploited fully in the interest of both the countries. The prospect for a steady flow of goods and services between two geographically contiguous regions should not be lost on both sides.

Tripura has cane, wood and a host of other herbal products to offer. Bangladesh, for its part, can supply cement and other construction materials along with toiletries and many other products. The list can be endless.

However, some infrastructural improvements have to be made before the new communication link can produce the expected results. The infrastructure includes not only the road, which is not smooth and broad enough at some points on our side, but also the checkpoints, which must perform efficiently, and quickly to serve the purpose for which the service was introduced. To put it more clearly, the facilities must be designed to meet the needs of the travelling public and business community alike.

A window of opportunity has opened on striking trade deals with the state government of Tripura and examining the possibilities of expanding trade ties with a vast region across the eastern border.

The talk of regional economic cooperation, which has overshadowed everything else in recent times, can be meaningful only when the nations are brought closer to each other through a communications network. Viewed from that angle, the Dhaka-Agartala bus service is a step in the right direction.