India-Bangladesh Meeting Aims to Restart Passenger Train Services

Indian and Bangladeshi officials are meeting in Dhaka to discuss restarting passenger train services suspended amid Bangladesh's political unrest. Officials are focusing on operational and administrative details as freight services remain untouched. Bilateral relations have been tense, and there's rising public demand to restore train connectivity.

Officials from India and Bangladesh have gathered in Dhaka to deliberate on the revival of suspended passenger train services between the two countries. The services had been halted due to widespread civil unrest in Bangladesh in 2024, leading to significant political upheaval.

The meeting, part of the Inter-Governmental Railway Meeting (IGRM), involves top railway officials from both nations. From the Indian side, a Railway Board member is in attendance, alongside high-ranking Bangladeshi officials and ministry representatives. The talks aim to address various operational and administrative issues such as financial settlements and infrastructure development.

Bilateral relations had soured following the civil unrest, which saw then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fleeing to India and the formation of an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. A fresh government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office following elections in 2026, and there is increasing public demand to restore train services, making it a pivotal issue at the current IGRM talks.