Dhaka: Communications Adviser of the interim cabinet Ghulam Quader has said Bangladesh now awaited Indian nod to resume Dhaka-Kolkata train service on Bengali New Year Pahela Baishakh next month, a media report said here today.

"The agreement on the Dhaka-Kolkata train service, approved by the Cabinet, has been sent to the Indian authorities through the foreign affairs ministry for their approval," the New Age quoted him as saying yesterday.

Quader said that the railway service would resume on Pahela Baishakh on April 14 subject to the approval of the agreement by the Indian government.

The advisory council or cabinet of the interim government in emergency-ruled Bangladesh last month accepted an Indian proposal for constructing box-type fencing in zero lines of frontier paving the way for the proposed direct train service between Dhaka and the West Bengal capital.

According to the proposed agreement, Dhaka will also construct a similar structure near the border in Bangladesh.

The possibility of the resumption of a rail-link was hanging in the balance due to Dhaka's dispute over the proposal for construction of the metal cage by India within 150 yards of the "no man s land" on the border to check smuggling.

The dispute delayed the beginning of the train service, which was actually scheduled to be kicked off in August 2007.

Under the cabinet decision the Moitree Express train would now ply the track between Cantonment station in Dhaka and Chitpur in Kolkata through Darshana border.

Replying to a question the adviser, however, said there were still a number of minor factors to be resolved yet but "let the train service between the two countries start first".
Source : PTI