Home ›› 10 Nov 2021 ›› Nation
A new bus service – Rangpur-Banglabandha Express – has commenced with trip between the sub-Himalayan district of Panchagarh and the land port of Banglabandha.
The new passenger line aims to ease people’s commute and boost tourism.
Some 20 buses will ply between Rangpur-Nilphamari and Panchagarh districts every day.
The buses are set to reach Banglabadha Land Port from Rangpur within 3.30 hours crossing 125 kilometres. The fare is fixed at Tk 225.
Rangpur District Motor Owners’ Association president AKM Mozaamel Haque inaugurated the service on Monday as the chief guest.
Vice-president Abdul Mannan and joint secretary Syed Aftabuzzaman Lipon, road secretary Farhan Zihan, office secretary Safiul Alam Safi and other members of the association were also present during the occasion to launch the maiden trip.
AKM Mozaamel Haque said some 20 new buses will regularly run in this route every 30 minutes. People of three districts – Rangpur- Nilphamari and Panchagarh will have advantage to reach their destination at a cheap fare.
People especially from the remote bordering district of Panchagarh will get opportunity for direct bus service to reach the divisional city headquarters Rangpur for different purposes including education, healthcare and business.
They will be able to travel to India and the Indian returnee will have transport facilities to and from Banglabandha Land Port.
A Panchagarh town resident Tajul Islam said it is a great advantage for them. People from Rangpur and Panchagarh districts can easily travel availing of the bus service.
“Earlier, we did not have any direct bus service. We had to travel a long way to reach Rangpur via Dinajpur district. It took at least five hours and extra bus fare,” he added.
Rangpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Mostafa Sohorab Chowdhury Titu said tea-cultivation is boosting in the bordering district of Panchagarh.
The prospective tea sector in the district has been changing the socio-economic condition of people generating huge jobs.
The Banglabandha Land Port in Panchagarh – connecting India, Nepal and Bhutan, has become a convenient gateway for tourists.
It is very close to Siliguri—which is the gateway to the North East of India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The land port could be the main choice of travelers as tourism cost would be very affordable.
The beginning of the direct bus service connecting the port could potentially attract more tourists than other frontier areas of the country.
However, the export and import businesses through the land port will be easier, he added.
