It is heartening to note that the passenger train service between Kolkata (Calcutta) in India and the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, has resumed after an interval of more than 40 years. The service was suspended in 1965 following that year’s war between India and Pakistan, of which Bangladesh was then the eastern province.
   The train service between the two countries was stopped during the India-Pakistan war in 1965 when Bangladesh was the erstwhile East Pakistan. Bangladesh gained independence in 1971 but the two countries only agreed to resume the train link in 2001.
   However, owing to disagreements over security arrangements, the implementation of the rail link was delayed after the two countries signed the agreement. The 538-km journey will cover 418 km in Bangladesh and 120 km in India.
   In the 1990s, direct buses began running between Dhaka and Calcutta for the first time. Earlier, on 8 July 2007, as a prelude to the Maitree Express, a test run was conducted
   from India to Bangladesh when a train carrying Indian government officials crossed the border and arrived in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, but there were no paying passengers on board the train.
   The 500-km (310 mile) journey marked the resumption of a direct passenger rail service between the two countries. The train had only symbolic importance.
   The Kolkata-Dhaka Maitree (Friendship) Express was at long last flagged off on 14 April, 2008, the Bengali New Year’s Day resuming passenger train services between the two neighbouring countries after 43 years. But the 360-seater Calcutta-Dhaka Friendship Express on its inaugural run was carrying barely 65 passengers, including journalists and politicians.
   The six-coach train is a bi-weekly service between Kolkata and Dhaka Cantonment. It leaves Kolkata on Saturdays and Sundays at 7.10 am reaching Dhaka at 10.30 pm. From Dhaka, it leaves at 8.30 am and reaches Kolkata at 9 pm. The Indian rake has a capacity of 368 passengers and the Bangladeshi one will have 418 passengers.
   Upon the announcement made in media, about the availability of tickets at the Eastern Railway ticket-booking counter in Fairly Place from 10 am to 5 pm from Friday onwards, thousands of people queued up on Friday, April 11, as ticket sales began for the India-Bangladesh Maitree Express.
   The excitement of people can be estimated by the fact that they were seen standing in line for tickets since 5 am. ‘There are already 3,000-4,000 people in the queue,’ a Railway official said. Fares are kept at $8 and $20. Initially it was decided passengers would get tickets in exchange of dollars only. But now they can also buy tickets in rupees.
   With one-way tickets starting from $8 (£4), it is expected to be popular with Bangladeshis
   visiting family, looking for work, shopping or seeking medical treatment in their neighbouring country.
   One hopes the rail-link between Kolkata and Dhaka, which share common values and culture, would lead to closer ties between the two neighbours and India would accommodate the genuine and legitimate concerns of Bangladesh to advance its economic and security national interests.
   Dr Abdul Ruff Colachal
   Delhi, India

No regret, if you ask me, over the low-sale and consumption of baby foods. Baby foods do harm; the younger the baby the more harm to health. Infants are the worst victims. Unknowing or misled mothers need not cry too much. Knowing parents need not worry.
   If one good thing came from high price of food, it is the possible reduction of baby food sale and consumption; the less the consumption the better it is — at least for the infants and very young children.
   Almost the same could be said of the so-called fast food, which became an addiction thanks to persuasive but misleading sales pitch. Indulgent middle-class parents go along to prove they are being ‘modern’. But they pay for junk foods and do damage to health of their kids. Not a smart thing to do.
   Husain
   Dhaka

This is an unlawful threat by an ignorant fanatic claiming to be a Muslim and the government’s non-action means appeasement of the unholy man and his followers. It is highly deplorable. Law and order must not be violated by any individual or groups on any pretext.
   Rasheda Chowdhury is not responsible alone for formulating any law; it is the government of the country this Amini is threatening. Rasheda deserves our respect, she is doing a splendid job and comparing her with Taslima Nasreen proves how ignorant Amini and his followers are. He should be arrested immediately with his gang and put on trial.
   They are not the custodians of Islam and what they say and practice is fascism and these fascists must be stopped. These people are a disgrace to Islam and it is time that Bangladeshi people took note and gotten rid of these fascists.
   Islam does not commend fascism or terrorism and what Amini and his gang say and do are un-Islamic; they are doing much harm to Islam and every Muslim should solidly back the government against these fanatic people and their un-Islamic activities in the name of Islam.
   Tayeb Husain
   On e-mail