BJP state chief Dilip Ghosh on Monday at the West Bengal Legislative Assembly demand to close the Maitree Express to Dhaka but Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee strongly criticized such demand.

She said, “The state government is not behind the functioning of the Maitree express. That is the subject of the Centre. If you insist on closing it, inform the Centre.”

Mamata Banerjee also told that, “The terror attack at Bangladesh is saddening. Hence, it is not the right time to raise demands post such an attack. There is no relation between the terror attack and Maitree Express. The Government of West Bengal is beside Bangladesh.”

BJP state head, Dilip Ghosh had earlier threatened to close down the services of the Maitree Express post several killings in Bangladesh. BJP organized a rally from College Square to Dharmatala. He said that despite of several protests are made on different international incidents; neither CPM, nor TMC made any protests over the murder of several priests in Bangladesh. Maitree Express to be closed as terror factors eneter India through Bangladesh via this route.

#Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Rejects Demand For Maitree Express Close Down https://t.co/clrFDN2x2K pic.twitter.com/mYz3WcTq3n

— I Love Siliguri (@ILoveSiliguri) July 4, 2016

The train connecting Dhaka and Kolkata is the only railway link between the cities of the two nations and reopened after being closed for 43 years.Maitree Express means the Friendship Express, denoting the significance of the train service to the foreign relations between India and Bangladesh. The inauguration of the train service was held on April 14, 2008.