New Delhi, Dec 6 (TIWN / IANS) Aiming to strengthen people-to-people contact between India and Bangladesh, the central government Saturday said it plans to introduce regular passenger bus service to Dhaka from Assam's Guwahati via Meghalaya's Shillong.

This will be in addition to two passenger bus services to Dhaka, already operating from Kolkata in West Bengal and Agartala in Tripura.

"Government plans to introduce regular passenger bus services to Dhaka from Guwahati in Assam via Shillong in Meghalaya," an official statement said here.

To study and finalise the routes and start the new bus services, a joint technical survey/trial run is being organised Dec 10-11 from Guwahati to Dhaka, it said.

Negotiations with Bangladesh for starting the bus services has been underway for the past several months.

The proposed bus service, which covers approximately 500 km, will take the Guwahati-Shillong-Dawki (Meghalaya)/Tamabil (Bangladesh)-Sylhet-Dhaka route.

The trial run/route survey will be carried out jointly by delegations from both the countries to assess route conditions and other technical parameters. 

The trial run will conclude at Dhaka Dec 12 and delegations are expected to submit their report on details and feasibility of starting of the regular bus services.

The official Indian delegation for the trial run will have representatives from the finance, home and external affairs ministries, besides officials of the Assam and Meghalaya governments.