Bangladeshi Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujon is expected to hold a meeting on 20 May with officials and discuss an evacuation plan for around 300 of the country's nationals from India. The friendship train will run from Kolkata to Dhaka.
"After consultations with the Indian government, we are planning to ply the Maitree Express to bring our citizens back. We will send the Indians stuck in Bangladesh from here and bring back our citizens. No one apart from these citizens will be allowed to board the train", Bangladeshi Railways Minister Nurul Islam said in a statement.
These 300 Bangladeshi nationals came to India for various purposes, ranging from medical necessities to business and are stuck here as the Bangladesh government has banned any travel from India.
Bangladesh had earlier imposed travel restrictions in the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases in India. However, goods trains continue to run between the two countries, but trains like Maitree and Bandhan have been suspended since last year.
