UNB, Dhaka:

Bangladesh and India are working together to enhance connectivity and take it to a higher level – both physical and digital in several ways, says a senior official at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

The initiatives are being taken so that the two countries can strengthen their trade connections, people-to-people connections, and several other projects that they are doing together and bring the relationship to a higher level, he said.

“We both countries are working together to enhance connectivity to a higher level,” spokesperson at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in New Delhi on Friday during a weekly media briefing.

Regarding rail connectivity, a journalist wanted to know whether there will be any convenience fee or some monetary matters involved and whether there will be any paramilitary or security forces deployed when the trains will be passing by those territories.

In reply, the MEA spokesperson said, “As far as your questions on fees, on security aspects, these are very technical questions. These will be addressed as and when they come up for discussion in the technical committee and between the two governments.”

During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s two-day state visit to New Delhi on June 21-22, Bangladesh and India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for railway connectivity.

The MoU for railway was on the connectivity between the two railways.

Earlier, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said connectivity continues to remain one of the central pillars of India-Bangladesh partnership.

“We believe that connectivity can transform geographical proximity into new economic opportunities, not just between India and Bangladesh, but also for the entire region,” he said while briefing the media after the state visit.

In this respect, he said, they are starting a new passenger train service between Rajshahi and Kolkata while trial run for a goods train on Bangladesh railway from a place called Gede-Darshana to Haldibari-Chilahati cross-border interchange point is planned for next month sometime.

“This will also help sub-regional connectivity with Bhutan,” said the Indian Foreign Secretary, adding that

There are already about six cross-border railway links but besides the importance of cross-border railway linkages, Kwatra said.

Another crucial aspect of this railway connectivity is the transit that they afford between different parts of India through the territory of Bangladesh and the discussions today focused on that, he said.

“So it’s effectively a connectivity paradigm that actually benefits both the countries, both the societies, both the economies very, very extensively,” Kwatra said.