The Maitree Express India's Frontier Railways

Throughout its 5,000-year history,

the Indian subcontinent has suffered numerous invasions.

The last was by the British.

And among their greatest legacies were the railways,

which fanned out to the very edges of their Indian empire.

But they quit India in 1947,

and hurriedly partitioned the subcontinent,

so many of the old railway routes crossed the new frontiers...

and were terminated.

But a few survived.

These are India's frontier railways.

Once, the state of Bengal was the jewel in the crown of British India.

Then partition divided Bengal in half, creating East Pakistan -

a satellite state ruled by West Pakistan -

until 1971, after a war of independence,

it became the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

Under the British, the state of Bengal,

with its rich agricultural land and its capital, Calcutta,

was the Empire's most successful trading port.

Strategically located on the banks of the Hooghly River,

it was a gateway to the Bay of Bengal,

the Indian Ocean, and the world.

After the British left, and in the wars that followed,

the railway suffered greatly.

There were no cross-border passenger trains between India and Bangladesh

for over 40 years...

until an agreement was signed in 2008

to run a train across the border.

TRAIN HORN SOUNDS

Its name was to be the Maitree Express,

meaning simply "friendship".

The Maitree leaves twice a week from Kolkata to Dhaka

from its own purpose-built station.

BELL RINGS

Jaya Varma Sinha is the divisional railway manager

of the Eastern Railway in Kolkata.

She's in charge of 23,000 railway employees,

she's responsible for 900 trains a week

and a million passengers a day.

But in 2007, she took on a new challenge

in Bangladesh as the Indian Railways advisor,

and her mandate was to get the Maitree Express up and running.

'There were a whole lot of bilateral issues -

'immigrations, customs.

'The railway was least of the problems.'

I say, "Maitree."

That's the Hindi word, Maitree.

If you do the Bengali version, it would be "Moitri".

'For a long time, we were trying to get

'a train between the two countries,

'and there were a lot of difficulties.

'It was a very interesting task and a very emotional task.'

I remember sitting in the office late into the night

along with the high commissioner, you know,

talking to India, getting the cabinet to clear the agreement

in the middle of the night and all that,

so that we could run it actually on the 14th.

So that was good.

And I was on the inaugural train.

So, I travelled from Kolkata...to Dhaka.

It was a wonderful moment.

Really, really, good.

-PA ANNOUNCEMENT:

-'Your attention, please.

'Kolkata to Dhaka Maitree Express

'will leave from platform number one.'

This becomes the entry and exit only?

After spending four years in Dhaka mentoring the Maitree Project,

Jaya returned to Kolkata.

But of all the trains she now manages,

her personal favourite remains the Maitree Express.

They go through immigration and the customs, security...

Now she's discussing plans to expand and update the service.

The first step is to increase the number of coaches

which are there in the train,

the second to increase the frequency of this train.

It's being discussed between both the countries, so it will happen.

TRAIN HORN SOUNDS

The Maitree is very much a Bengali train.

Before partition, Northeast India was simply defined

as the State of Bengal, and its population were all Bengalis,

both Hindu and Muslim.

Bengalis like to be known for their talents

as religious and social reformers,

scholars, literary giants, poets and musicians,

and for their love of fish.

Krishnendu Basu is the guard

on today's Maitree Express to the border.

Basu is something of a renaissance man himself.

An accomplished tabla player and photographer,

he's also a self-confessed foodie, and he's very happy with his life.

He's also very serious about his railway duties.

Seat 73. 7-3.

The train is fully booked, so the Maitree is a real success story

for the railways, the public, and for international diplomacy.

PA ANNOUNCEMENT PLAYS

The Maitree is above all a family train.

Its passengers are mostly Bengalis visiting friends and relatives

or returning to their village roots.

The journey from Kolkata to Gede, at the Indian border,

is just 113 kilometres.

For this leg of the journey,

the Maitree is under the control of the guard, Krishnendu Basu.

The Maitree Express is the only train

which runs between Kolkata and Dhaka in Bangladesh.

HORN SOUNDS

It's a 392km journey from Kolkata to Dhaka in Bangladesh

and it takes around 12 hours,

depending on the two stops for immigration and customs.

On this first leg, there's just enough time for the catering staff

to serve the 325 passengers some breakfast

and a nice cup of railway tea.

Urmi Rahman is a well-published Bangladeshi journalist and writer,

and she's a frequent traveller on the Maitree.

Basically, we love trains.

This train - I love it because I'm going home.

I'm going to my own home, so I like it.

Urmi was born in Bangladesh, married an Indian, and lives in Kolkata,

but she's very clear about her own identity.

First I'm a human being, then I'm a Bengali, and then I'm Bangladeshi.

I lived in London so many years, I could have taken a British passport.

I didn't.

I'm living in Kolkata and I was asked by the special branch

that "You can apply for an Indian passport".

I said no.

We fought for the country, I'm not giving up my passport!

The railway has always been a family-friendly institution

and Partho Bannerjee is from just such a railway background.

His grandparents had left Bangladesh Railways

and joined Indian Railways a year before partition.

Now he's the third generation to work for them

and he's the Indian liaison officer and inspector of the Maitree.

Travelling in a non-air-conditioned coach costs just £5 each way.

So it's very cheap.

But a seat in a first-class air-conditioned compartment

is £16...

..not including breakfast.

Krishnendu Basu was an artistic child born into a railway family.

His mother was Bangladeshi and his father was Indian,

and he worked for the railways

and was known for his fine singing voice.

Now head of the family, Basu became the breadwinner.

He couldn't join the railway police force like his father

because they said he wasn't really tall enough,

so he joined as a clerk and gradually worked his way up.

Basu still loves to play tabla,

but the railway is his bread and butter.

HORN SOUNDS

All guards and drivers on Indian trains are subject

to strict rules and regulations on safety.

For acts of God, there are the everyday religious rituals.

Gautam Bannerjee is signing in at Ranaghat Station,

a short commute to the border on the Maitree line.

He's the guard who will take over from Basu at the border

and escort the Maitree across into Bangladesh.

But first, there's a catalogue of forms and books for signing

and a mandatory breath test for all drivers and guards.

MACHINE BEEPS

Between Kolkata and Dhaka, the Maitree makes only one stop

in India, at Gede Station, for immigration and customs checks.

Once the train and the passengers arrive in Gede Station,

they're literally caged in.

This is the end of Basu's shift.

He can't travel across the border because he doesn't have a passport,

so he's handing over to Mr Gautam Bannerjee, who does.

All the passengers must leave the train and carry all their bags

for customs clearance and for immigration checks.

After an eight-hour duty, Basu has to sign off

at the stationmaster's cabin, and finally, he'll grab a bite to eat.

PHONE RINGS

After a 90-minute stop in India, the Maitree begins its journey

across the border and into Bangladesh.

TRAIN HORN SOUNDS

It takes the Maitree just 20 minutes to travel to Darshana,

the first station in Bangladesh,

at the bilaterally agreed speed of ten kilometres an hour.

It's a journey Gautam Bannerjee does four times a week.

Now we are going to the border.

This is the milestone.

This part, India.

We have completed our journey in Indian part.

This part, Bangladesh.

And this is the BGB - Border Guards of Bangladesh - check post.

The border was established by the British.

They had annexed over half of Bengal,

almost 30 million people,

and gave it to Pakistan as a satellite state.

In 1970, Pakistan was becoming increasingly brutal

in an effort to keep the Bengali population under their control.

And when they made Urdu the official language,

the whole country erupted.

I was in a college at that time.

We worked inside the country, however we could, for the cause.

Two of my brothers went and joined the guerrilla force.

The Pakistan army was building up their forces here

and they cracked down on the Bengalis,

the sleeping people at the midnight of 25th March.

The response to Pakistan's brutal military regime

soon escalated into a full-blown war of independence

involving India, Pakistan,

and the newly emerging nation of Bangladesh.

During the war, three million people were killed,

and another ten million fled across the border into India.

The people had rallied to the call of the Mukti Bahini -

the Freedom Fighters -

but many never lived to see Bangladesh independence.

WOMAN ON RECORDING: 'Pakistan launched

'a full scale war against us...'

-MAN ON RECORDING:

-'Hey, Bangladeshis...'

The Pakistan Army made it a criminal offence

to listen to any news on the radio,

so it was difficult, but not impossible

to find out what was happening.

In a backstreet near Ishwardi Station,

a brave chai wallah named Kashim Mullah

would secretly tune in to the daily news reports

from the BBC World Service.

Amirul Islam was only 16 when he joined the Freedom Fighters

but, even in the fog of war, he knew of Kashim's tea stall

and his secret radio.

The Pakistan army surrendered on 16th December, 1971,

and the area around Kashim's tea stall

was officially named BBC Bazaar

for its valued role in spreading the news.

MAN ON RADIO: 'The Indian Army is in Bangladesh.

'The Mukti Bahini and Freedom Fighters

'are around you everywhere.

'Your only chance is to surrender now.'

CHATTER

It went nine months...

and then the Pakistan Army had to surrender.

And we got our independence.

The Maitree arrives at the border station of Darshana in Bangladesh.

It's taken nearly two hours for all its 325 passengers

to clear customs and immigration in India.

And now they have to do it all over again.

Amirul's generation brought freedom and independence to Bangladesh.

Now the freedom fighter has become a railwayman

and he's been working on the Maitree since it started.

He's been given a unique job on the train.

He's responsible for public announcements

and playing religious music and prayers on the journey.

Amirul has created his own independent territory.

With railway-issue DJ equipment,

he's able to perform both a social service and a religious service

to the Maitree passengers.

The war had finally delivered

independence and freedom to Bangladesh,

and they had created a new international divide.

Partho Bannerjee visits Bangladesh as a kind of railway ambassador

with all of the courtesies afforded to a visiting railway dignitary.

And with plans to increase the service

and streamline immigration and customs,

there's still a lot of talking and handshaking to do.

Ishwadi Junction is not far from the border

and it's home to Mohammed Aalo,

father of two and a chocolate seller on the Maitree Express.

Aalo's been chocolateering on the train for the last three years

and, like most second-generation Bangladeshis,

he's patriotic, hard-working and optimistic.

The Maitree is an international train,

so Aalo has adapted his sales pitch accordingly.

Aalo leaves for Darshana Station with his chocolate selection.

He'll ride the train for a couple of hours,

or for as long as he can before his chocolates start to melt.

It's already 30 degrees in the shade.

It's taken another two hours

to clear Bangladesh immigration and customs,

but finally the Maitree leaves Darshana,

filled with all its passengers, and heads for Dhaka.

Bangladesh is a riverine country.

There are 700 rivers and tributaries including the mighty Ganges,

the Jamuna and the Meghna.

Rivers are the country's major natural resource,

but they are both a blessing and a curse.

Every year, during the monsoon rains,

almost 20% of the country is flooded.

Thousands of rural people lose their lives

and millions are made homeless.

To enable their trains to cross the Ganges River,

the British Eastern Bengal Railway Company

built the Hardinge Bridge in 1912.

It was still standing until the war of independence,

when the Indian Air Force bombed it

to cut off the Pakistani Army's retreat.

India had been allies with Bangladesh

in their war of independence and, when the war was won,

the Indian railway and the Bangladesh railway worked together,

repaired the bridge, and reopened it a year later.

The Hardinge Bridge has been carrying trains

without interruption ever since.

HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

This is the holy festival of Ramadan,

when Muslims across the world fast for a month

during the hours of daylight.

Aalo is finding business slow on the chocolate front.

And the temperature in the non-air-conditioned carriages

isn't helping.

The demand for Aalo's chocolate snacks may be slow during Ramadan,

but the Maitree also offers its Muslim passengers

another service - the call to prayer.

Prayer times are confirmed by the guard with the Dhaka office

so that Amirul can broadcast the prayers at exactly the right time.

For all Muslims, fasting over the month of Ramadan

is intended to help teach self-discipline, self-restraint

and generosity.

It also reminds them of the suffering of the poor.

Tradition dictates that you break your fast directly after sunset

so, with an hour to go before darkness falls,

fasting passengers will expect some food.

The catering department have already started preparing

some evening snacks known as "iftar" for their fasting passengers.

Both the passengers and the railway staff are grateful

for their iftar after the day's fast.

The catering staff are the last to tuck in,

but Aalo seems to have lost his appetite -

the day has been unprofitable and, with all the handling,

his chocolate bars are not in good shape.

Standing on the east bank of the Buriganga River,

Dhaka is the political, economic and cultural heart of Bangladesh.

And it's the tenth largest city in the world.

During the festival of Ramadan,

friends and family traditionally get together each evening

to break the daily fast.

It's been a 12-hour journey from Kolkata to Dhaka

and everybody on the train is eager to get home,

especially those who are waiting to break their fast.

Urmi feels like she's already back home

and, although she's not religious and she's not fasting,

she's still going to join her friends for dinner.

I think Kolkata is too urban, but we have a connection.

Everybody in Dhaka have a village home.

But in Kolkata you find many people

that don't have any connection with their villages.

If you look into the differences, the differences are there,

but if you look into the past history, if you say that...pre-'47,

then you will find we all share a common history.

Sir Cyril Radcliffe, when he was invited to come to Bengal

and draw the dividing line,

his greatest qualification was, he was never been to India.

So he can do it with slides and scales and statistics,

but we all hope that the subcontinent

will be a continent of peace and harmony and tolerance -

that's the fundamental, but that doesn't mean that

that will separate the people or the nations from each other.

The religious celebrations and cultural calendar

of the entire Indian subcontinent and much of the world

is still determined by the moon, the stars and the planets,

as it has been for millennia.

After the day's duty,

Gautam Bannerjee, the guard on the Maitree,

changes his uniform...and his job.

With a bachelor's and master's degree in astrology,

and descended from a family of eminent astrologers,

Gautam is transformed into a Jyotish -

a reader of the planets and the stars.

Based on the movement of the heavens and your birth details,

Gautam's calculations are trusted to cure sickness, arrange marriages,

fix festivals and even predict the best time for a baby to be born.

The Buriganga River is a life-giving force

that flows through the city of Dhaka,

bringing trade and employment.

And, like Kolkata, Dhaka has always been a rich trading port.

The city has always attracted large numbers of migrant workers.

Even today, there are more than 600,000 rickshaw-drivers,

all living on the poverty line.

CAR HORN SOUNDS

The country has had something of a raw deal since independence -

overpopulation and natural disasters have dogged its progress.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh has recently been attracting

greater volumes of foreign investment and trade.

But at street level, life is still tough.

Kamalpur is the largest railway station in the country

and it's a centre for the distribution of newspapers.

METAL CLANGS

There's cheap labour in abundance in Bangladesh

and the station attracts many runaway children

hoping to make it in the city.

HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

Abdullah is 16 years old and he left home a year ago.

His parents were forcing him

to become an Islamic scholar in a madrasah.

After running away from the madrasah,

Abdullah ended up in Dhaka.

He worked on a fishing boat, drove a rickshaw

and now he sells newspapers.

Most days, Abdullah sells his papers on commuter trains

and at local railway stations,

but on Wednesdays and Fridays he goes to Dhaka Cantonment Station

to catch some extra sales from international travellers

on the Maitree Express.

Abdullah drops off a complimentary newspaper

in the stationmaster's office,

and that secures him a prime spot to sell his papers.

Nearly all the passengers are Bengali,

both Hindu and Muslim, from both sides of the border.

..Western Bengal, are of similar religion,

similar climate, similar weather, similar culture -

everything is similar.

..especially from the people, that the number should be increased.

Increasing numbers means more customers

for Abdullah's paper sales.

It's the trickle-down effect in miniature.

Because it's an international platform,

Abdullah has to sit outside the security fence...

..but he's built up some regular railway customers

and it's usually worth the commute.

Ex-Freedom Fighter Amirul takes real pride in his job

working on the prestige Maitree service.

His first duty of the day - to get the passengers on the train.

ANNOUNCEMENT: 'Heartiest welcome to all of you

'on behalf of Bangladesh Railway.

'Please take your seats,

'please do not carry any contraband goods with you...'

Aalo is a hard-working entrepreneur,

struggling to provide for his family.

He's the first generation to be born into an independent Bangladesh,

but it's still the poor country he grew up in.

BELL RINGS

The Maitree service has been turned around overnight

and now begins its 12-hour journey to Kolkata.

So Aalo has just a few hours of selling time

before the border, and before his chocolates start to melt.

After the Maitree leaves,

Abdullah still has plenty of newspapers to sell...

and nobody wants yesterday's news,

so he needs to sell more to make a profit.

At Dhaka's busiest commuter station,

there's still a little time left before the morning rush is over...

..but there's plenty of competition.

Abdullah is both intelligent and literate,

but he's one of the millions of young people in Bangladesh

who face the daily struggle to survive.

Despite his position, Abdullah reads the papers every day

and he has ambitions too.

Abdullah is one of more than 50 million people

living on the poverty line,

and the railways have been struggling too.

As the end of Ramadan approaches,

most people leave the city to return home to their villages,

where they can celebrate Eid with their family and friends.

WHISTLE BLOWS

It's known as the "Eid rush"

and it puts tremendous pressure on the railway,

as hundreds of thousands of people descend on platforms across the city

hoping to find a place on a train going home.

It's an uncontrollable and powerful outpouring of energy

as travellers swarm over every carriage.

Eid is a time for family and friends to reunite.

But for Abdullah, this year, it's different.

He says he won't go home until he's made something of himself.

CHEERING

Abdullah is one of millions of Bangladeshi children

who have dropped out of education.

He's also part of a generation of Bangladeshi youth

increasingly migrating to cities like Dhaka.

Even though they're living hand to mouth,

these youngsters remain ambitious and optimistic,

and many NGOs and volunteers throughout the city

see their mission as improving the lives of these children,

and helping their country to grow.

So Abdullah has decided to visit one of the many NGOs

set up to help street children like himself.

The NGO is something of a reality check for Abdullah.

It's clear that his desire for a formal education

will come at a price.

He'll have to swallow his pride and study with children half his age

and sacrifice his freewheeling life for a more disciplined regime.

And for a 16-year-old,

it's a big decision.

TRAIN HORN TOOTS

Bangladesh Railways has also been receiving help and assistance.

Foreign aid and substantial funding from Indian Railways

is helping to rebuild its infrastructure.

The biggest engineering project was the Bangabandhu Bridge

over the Jamuna River.

It took four years to build.

It's almost three miles across

and is one of the longest bridges in Asia.

It's also part of the Trans-Asian Railway,

a planned continuous road and rail link

from Southeast Asia all the way to Europe.

MUSIC PLAYS

MUSIC CONTINUES

HE HUMS TO MUSIC

PA SYSTEM: 'Your attention, please.

'Shortly, we are going to reach Darshana Station.

'We are to take a break at Darshana

'for customs and immigration formalities.

'Please carefully reach the counters for your customs

'and immigration formalities

'with your luggage and packages.'

HORN TOOTS

The border station of Darshana is the end of the line

for Aalo and Amirul.

It's not been a great trip for Aalo and his melting chocolate snacks.

So, on Eid night, he's on a mission

which he hopes will change his fortune.

The Maitree departs Bangladesh on time...

WHISTLE BLOWS

..now in the hands of the Indian crew.

Train guard Gautam Bannerjee

will take the train across the border into India.

1-2-1-0-7...

And his colleague Krishnendu Basu will take the Maitree on to Kolkata.

Aalo has had to keep his family on a meagre income from the Maitree.

The family has led a hand-to-mouth existence,

and there is rarely any money to spare.

But somehow, he's managed to save enough to buy a coolbox.

It's a big gamble, and the most expensive purchase of his life.

But he hopes that it will stop his chocolates from melting,

so he'll sell more and increase his profit.

At home, it wasn't the Eid surprise the family were expecting,

but the coolbox is greeted with delight by the children.

It's an exciting addition to the family assets.

Tonight is Eid, marking the end of the month-long festival of Ramadan.

It's a time of celebration.

Abdullah and his friends have some free tickets to a rock concert.

MAN: Hello!

CHEERING

ROCK MUSIC PLAYS

It's a rare opportunity to mix with the young and aspiring

student generation, who he hopes one day he'll be part of.

The Maitree pulls into Kolkata station

12 hours after leaving Dhaka.

Train guard Krishnendu Basu has finished his shift on the Maitree.

So, once all the formalities of his duty are completed,

there's just enough time to phone his wife

before he catches a local train home,

because tonight he's doing what he loves best -

playing tabla with his friends.

SHE SINGS

Gautam Bannerjee, astrologer and guard, has predicted the future

and brought happiness to his fellow railwayman...

who is now a proud father.

Abdullah decided to join the school at the NGO.

But he's still selling newspapers on trains and platforms

to provide him with an income while he studies.

But the lessons he's learned on the street

will no doubt stay with him for ever.

Aalo's gamble on the coolbox is already starting to pay dividends.

His chocolates stay cool and the future looks optimistic.

Aalo, like all Bangladeshis, needs a little more money in his pocket,

and a little bit of help.

But his hopes and aspirations are universal -

to educate his children and create a better life

for himself and his family.

Partition divided Bengal along religious lines.

Bangladesh has a history of occupation,

a bloody war of independence,

and so many natural disasters

that it prompted Henry Kissinger to predict that Bangladesh

would become a "basket case".

But, after less than half a century of independence,

this energetic nation is slowly but surely evolving

into a more confident middle age.

The Maitree Express is just six years old,

and every journey is fully booked.

There are plans to double the frequency of the service.

And both sides hope this friendship line between India and Bangladesh

signals an even greater co-operation and prosperity in the future.

Even if the price of fish goes up.