The Mitali Express, the inter-country train connecting Dhaka and New Jalpaiguri in India, has returned to India after being suspended for nearly five months.
The train rakes re-entered India through the Chilahati-Haldibari border in Cooch Behar District of West Bengal on Wednesday morning amid heightened security measures, according to Bangladesh Railway sources.
The Mitali Express, designated as train number 13132/31, originally left New Jalpaiguri for Dhaka on July 17 but had been unable to return due to the political unrest in Bangladesh. The disruption was caused by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Bangladesh.
According to the Dhaka Tribune newspaper, the train entered India’s Haldibari station from Chilahati in Nilphamari, Bangladesh, with assistance from a Bangladesh Railway engine. Once in Haldibari, the coaches were handed over to Indian authorities, and the engine returned to Chilahati.
The Mitali Express is a vital passenger link between the two nations, particularly it connects Dhaka with Northern West Bengal and Sikkim, launched on June 1, 2022.
Apart from the Mitali Express, there are two other passenger trains between India and Bangladesh: the Maitree Express, which connects Dhaka with Kolkata and the Bandhan Express connecting Khulna with Kolkata.
Given the deteriorating law and order situation in Bangladesh, the Indian Railway has suspended all three Inter-country passenger trains for an indefinite period. The rakes of the Maitree Express and Bandhan Express are in India.
