Bangladesh approves in principle passenger train service to India

Dhaka, Mar 30 (UNI) The Bangladesh caretaker government has approved, a passenger train service with India through the renewal of an existing agreement between the two countries.

As per the accord, the passenger train would run between Sealdah in India and Joydevpur in Gazipur district of Bangladesh.

In a meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, the Council of Advisors gave the approval last night and asked the Communications Ministry to examine whether any other option could be incorporated in the agreement during its renewal, like additional service for goods carriage, ''if it brings benefit to Bangladesh''.

It decided to renew the existing agreement on trial run of train till 2010 as its validity will expire on July 2007.

The agreement was first signed in 2001 for three years.

The council also decided that Bangladesh would sign an agreement to set up South Asian University during the forthcoming SAARC Summit in New Delhi on April 3-4.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had mooted the proposal for establishing a South Asian University at the last SAARC Summit in Dhaka. All member-countries welcomed the proposal.

UNI