Trial runs on Dhaka (Bangladesh)-Gangtok (Sikkim, India) and Dhaka-Darjeeling (India) for direct bus services were conducted on 12-16 December 2019, headed by the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation. Darjeeling and Gangtok in India are popular tourist destinations in Bangladesh. The trial run aimed to assess road conditions and determine feasibility of operationalizing commercial passenger bus services along these routes. Currently, there are no direct buses to these destinations.

The Government of Bangladesh has also taken initiatives to open a direct road network between Bangladesh and India. During a meeting of the Thematic Group on Regional Connectivity also held in December, Mr. Chandan Dey, Additional Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division, Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Government of Bangladesh, remarked that tourists from Bangladesh and India are interested in visiting tourist destinations in private cars, SUVs, motorbikes, or buses.

Related links:

• Trial run on Dhaka-Gangtok, Dhaka-Darjeeling bus routes starts
• Bangladesh plans to open direct road network with India