India's Frontier Railways

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The Maitree Express

BBC Four

India's Frontier Railways: The Maitree Express

Bernard Hill

Gerry Troyna

Rajesh Shinde

Grant McKee

India's Frontier Railways: Episode 1: The Maitree Express

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Episode 1

Episode 1: The Maitree Express

BBC Four - India's Frontier Railways, The Maitree Express

A journey from India into Bangladesh, on a train that reunites Bengal.

Series about the trains crossing borders in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The Maitree Express was the first train to run between India and Bangladesh.

Filmed during the holy month of Ramadan, this is a journey from India into Bangladesh on a train that reunites the region of Bengal. Partitioned in 1947, Bengal was divided in half, creating East Pakistan - a satellite state ruled by Pakistan. It was an unwelcome occupation. In 1971, they fought a war of independence and East Pakistan became the People's Republic of Bangladesh. 37 years later, the first train ran between India and Bangladesh - the Maitree Express. Maitree means friendship. 

It takes 12 hours to make the 392km journey from Kolkata to Dhaka, and staffing on the train is almost the same on both sides of the border. They speak the same language, share a history and all love fish. 

Amirul, once a freedom fighter in the war of independence, now plays announcements and religious tapes on the Maitree. Aalo supports his family by selling chocolates on the train, but has a problem with the 30-degree heat. Sixteen-year-old Abdullah ran away from home and a madrasa. Now he sells papers on Dhaka's trains and platforms, hoping for a brighter future. Gautam Bannerjee is a guard on the Maitree and a respected astrologer. Can his calculations foretell the future? Urmi Rahman, a writer, was born in Bangladesh, married an Indian and lives in Kolkata, but she is very clear about her identity. Krishendu Basu is happy with his life. Not only a guard, he is also a tabla player, photographer and self-confessed foodie. But music is his passion.

These stories of people who work, travel or depend on the Maitree Express take us on a journey through history, sharing their hopes, needs and desires - on India's frontier railways.

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Three-part series about trains crossing borders in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan

Three-part series about trains crossing borders in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, reconnecting families, cultures and history

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