India’s Frontier Railways – Maitree Express: Filmed during the holy month of Ramadan, this is a journey from India into Bangladesh on a train that reunites the region of Bengal. Partitioned in 1947, Bengal was divided in half, creating East Pakistan – a satellite state ruled by Pakistan. It was an unwelcome occupation. In 1971, they fought a war of independence and East Pakistan became the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. 37 years later, the first train ran between India and Bangladesh – the Maitree Express. Maitree means friendship.
It takes 12 hours to make the 392km journey from Kolkata to Dhaka, and staffing on the train is almost the same on both sides of the border. They speak the same language, share a history and all love fish.
Amirul, once a freedom fighter in the war of independence, now plays announcements and religious tapes on the Maitree. Aalo supports his family by selling chocolates on the train, but has a problem with the 30-degree heat. Sixteen-year-old Abdullah ran away from home and a madrasa. Now he sells papers on Dhaka’s trains and platforms, hoping for a brighter future. Gautam Bannerjee is a guard on the Maitree and a respected astrologer. Can his calculations foretell the future? Urmi Rahman, a writer, was born in Bangladesh, married an Indian and lives in Kolkata, but she is very clear about her identity. Krishendu Basu is happy with his life. Not only a guard, he is also a tabla player, photographer and self-confessed foodie. But music is his passion.
These stories of people who work, travel or depend on the Maitree Express take us on a journey through history, sharing their hopes, needs and desires – on India’s frontier railways.
India’s Frontier Railways – Maitree Express
Maitree Express is a international passenger train that operates between Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It was introduced in 2008 as a way to improve relations and increase trade and tourism between the two countries. The train runs twice a week, and the journey takes about 12 hours. It makes stops at several stations along the way, including in the cities of Gede, Darsana, and Petrapole. The Maitree Express is equipped with modern amenities, including air-conditioned coaches, comfortable seating, and a dining car. Passengers can purchase tickets from the Bangladesh Railway or Indian Railways websites, or from ticket counters at the stations.
The Partition of India in 1947 disrupted rail links in the province of Bengal, which was divided into the Indian state of West Bengal and the Pakistani province of East Bengal (later renamed East Pakistan in 1956). During British rule over the undivided land, regular over-night trains connected Kolkata, Goalanda, Dhaka and Narayanganj. In addition pre-partition, Darjeeling Mail connecting Kolkata (Sealdah Station) with Siliguri ran through what became East Pakistan via Gede–Darshana and Chilahati–Haldibari.
Three train services from Sealdah—East Bengal Mail to Parbatipur Junction via Gede-Darshana, East Bengal Express to Goalundo Ghat via Gede-Darshana, and the Barisal Express to Khulna via Benapole–Petrapole—continued operation between the two countries until 1965, when the outbreak of the Indo-Pakistani Conflict of 1965 led to the closure of all passenger train links. The Bangladesh Liberation War resulted in the independence of East Pakistan as the nation-state of Bangladesh. The Maitree Express follows the same route as the first two trains above via Gede-Darshana.
