Bangladesh to open another trade consulate in India
India has approved the setting up of another trade consulate of Bangladesh in Guwahati, the capital of northeastern state of Assam.
Dhaka also proposed to strengthen its existing trade consulate in Agartala, the capital of Tripura state, as the two countries agreed to expedite visa clearance.
The approval by India's External Affairs Ministry to open a new Bangladesh consulate in Guwahati and Dhaka's proposal to bolster its existing consulate at Agartala were conveyed at a meeting of senior officials of India and Bangladesh in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya state, according to an official statement.
The meeting stressed reforming visa services so that visa clearance can be expedited. The meeting reviewed progress in the passenger bus services between the two countries and discussed issues such as improving passenger amenities on both sides of the border.
A demand for creating new stops inside Bangladesh on the Kolkata-Dhaka bus route and the issue of rationalising fares also came up at the meeting.
India's transport commissioners and officials of home ministry and the Ministry of Road Transport attended the meeting. Bangladesh was represented by joint secretary-level officials of road transport ministry, foreign ministry and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation.
This was the first review meeting since the two countries signed an agreement on Dhaka-Kolkata bus service in 1999, adding the next review is slated for June.
India and Bangladesh currently have passenger bus services between Kolkata and Dhaka, Kolkata and Agartala via Dhaka and from Dhaka to Guwahati via Shillong.
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