Eastern Railway Halts Maitree Express Between Kolkata and Dhaka Amid Bangladesh Unrest

Eastern Railway announced on Tuesday, July 23, that the Maitree Express, which connects Kolkata with Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, will be suspended until Wednesday, July 24. This decision comes after violent protests in Bangladesh over the government job quota system, which have resulted in over 100 deaths.

The Maitree Express service, which usually runs six days a week except Sundays, has been halted since Saturday. Additionally, the bi-weekly Kolkata-Khulna-Kolkata Bandhan Express was canceled on Sunday.

In response to the unrest, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh imposed a curfew with a shoot-on-sight order to protect lives and property. The protests erupted after the Supreme Court of Bangladesh overturned most government job quotas, meeting a major demand of the protesters. This has led to some of the deadliest violence the country has experienced in recent years.