India-Bangladesh road connectivity depends on Covid situation

Road connectivity between India-Bangladesh border will be fully operation as the Covid-19 situation improves.

Spokesperson of Indian Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava told in the weekly briefing on Thursday.

At the moment, some restricted movements of people through border are being allowed, but it can only be opened fully as the Covid situation improves, he said.

Speaking about rail connectivity, he said trade shipments via rail routes are being are closed due to pandemic situation.

The spokesperson claimed that air bubble is working well and presently this service is allowed specially for the people who need urgent medical treatment.

Bangladesh is requesting India to resume tourist visa for people to meet their immediate family members and for some urgent work for their relatives.

External affairs ministry has written to the home ministry to resume tourist visa service in phase manner, he said.

At this moment Delhi records a huge spike in Covid cases and issuing of tourist visa for New Delhi is not been considered. But Home ministry is contemplating to allow some persons with tourist visa in some other cities like Kolkata and Chennai.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 17th India-Asean summit virtually at the invitation of Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

After the meeting, Riva Ganguly Das, Secretary (East) briefed the media and said that status of building of India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway was reviewed.

Jakarta based think tank Economic Research Institute for ASEAN submitted a report for east ward extension of tri-nation highway. The summit also stressed enhancing connectivity in the region.