After more than a year of inactivity, the bus route connecting Agartala, Dhaka, and Kolkata is set to resume, offering a crucial transport option for passengers traveling between Tripura, Bangladesh, and West Bengal.

The service, jointly managed by the Tripura Road Transport Corporation (TRTC) and Royal Maitree, had been suspended due to halted visa services and reduced passenger traffic. With visa issuance expected to restart soon, authorities are taking steps to bring the route back into operation.

A test run of the bus was conducted recently to assess readiness, according to Sipon Sarkar, a travel coordinator. “The service has been inactive for over a year, primarily because visas were unavailable. This test run marks the first step toward regular operations,” he explained.

Driver Fayeg Ahmood shared that the trial journey went smoothly despite the absence of passengers. “Right now it’s only a trial, but we are optimistic that passenger numbers will increase quickly once the service resumes fully,” he said.

Officials from the Bangladesh High Commission have indicated that visa processing for students, tourists, and other travelers is likely to restart shortly, which is expected to further boost cross-border travel.

Ahmood added that a team of around 25 staff members is on standby to ensure the bus service can immediately transition from trial runs to regular operations once approvals are finalized.