Ganga Vilas river cruise is a "momentous development" that shows the power of the river systems to connect India and Bangladesh and its people, says the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Pranay Verma.
Ganga Vilas, world’s longest river cruise of over 3200 kilometres, is set to arrive in Mongla port on Saturday, on its 50 day long journey that was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi on January 13.
On Friday, MV Ganga Vilas entered Bangladesh border where the Customs and Immigration formalities were completed. The vessel will start for Mongla port Saturday early morning to reach by 1pm.
The High Commissioner will welcome the cruise there, according to DD News. The river cruise will pass through places of historic importance in Bangladesh during its close to two week passage through the country.
Speaking to Prasar Bharti Special Correspondent in Dhaka, High Commissioner Pranay Verma called the river cruise a historic occasion and a momentous development that shows the power of the riverine system of the two countries.
He said tourism is at the cutting edge of the people to people relations and the Ganga Vilas cruise will unlock the potential for tourism and new ways to connect the people of India and Bangladesh.
Expressing happiness over the river cruise, the High Commissioner said that it is not just a way to unlock the potential of tourism between the two countries but a new way of connecting the people also.
He said that rivers have traditionally connected India and Bangladesh and the Ganga Vilas river cruise will be able to rejuvenate that connection.
Highlighting the fact that the river cruise passes through some of the historic and heritage locations of Bangladesh, High Commissioner Pranay Verma said the cruise will bring these places on the world tourism map benefiting the local economy which depends on tourism.
Speaking about the Sundarban stretch of the river cruise, the High Commissioner said this cruise will open up the potential of ecotourism in Sundarbans too.