Kolkata: Indian president Pranab Mukherjee launched the country’s first cross-border radio channel — Akashvani Maitree — for Bengali listeners all over the globe and its website, which will provide a platform for blending content both from India and Bangladesh.

The word ‘Akashvani’ in Bengali means message from the skies, was the name aptly given by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, while the word ‘Maitree’ means relationship.

“Akashvani Maitree and its multimedia website is a unique venture and initiative of All India Radio not only for the Bengali listeners in West Bengal, Bangladesh and the adjoining areas but the entire Bengali speaking diaspora living in different parts of the globe,” Mukherjee said while launching the channel here in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Bangladesh, which was created as an independent country post the 1972 war, was partitioned in 1947 as East Pakistan, but post 1971, India has maintained strong bilateral relations because of its shared history, heritage, culture, language, physical proximity.

The concept of a cross-border radio channel first came during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh last year, where both sides agreed to the proposal and also to share content among their broadcasting organisations.

The channel will be broadcast from a state-of-the-art brand new high power 1000Kw DRM transmitter with a capacity to reach the entire length and breadth of Bangladesh through medium wave and will be also available globally on its website and mobile-app.

Mukherjee recalled that Akashvani has a special place in the heart of millions of people of the Bangladesh as a special service in Bangla was launched in the wake the Bangladesh Liberation movement, which played a historic role during the liberation movement. He said the new channel can play a significant role in promoting and preserving the composite Bengali cultural heritage which is proud inheritance of all Bengali speaking people irrespective of their geographical location.

“I am sure the blending of content from both India and Bangladesh in the fields of art, culture, literature, music, sports and also on shared socio-economic issues will make the channel a unique one,” Indian President said, adding that it will be useful for listeners on both sides of the border.

In a note, Bangladeshi government also appreciated the gesture and believe that this new channel will help is fostering stronger relations between people.

Meanwhile, Indian government is holding advanced discussions with its Bangladeshi counterparts to start a passenger train service between Kolkata and Khulna apart from the existing Kolkata-Dhaka Maitree Express which is running successfully.

“We are discussing to start a passenger train service between Kolkata and Khulna through Petrapole-Benapole border,” Eastern Railway spokesperson R N Mahapatra told Gulf News.

This is considered as a historic line as the services existed even before partition and both the countries are willing to restart the services. Goods trains are already in service in this section.

“The discussions are on and we believe that such a service will be beneficial to the people of both the countries,” Mahapatra added. Talks are also on to increase the frequency of the Maitree express.