Dhaka: Akashvani Maitree, a Bangla radio service, was launched in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee launched the channel that is expected to act as a bridge of amity between Bangladesh and India.

Speaking on the occasion, the Indian President said Akashvani Maitree will be an important channel of communication between Bangladesh and India, reports UNB. 

President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in their separate written messages welcomed the launching of the new radio channel, Akashvani Maitree, and said it will act as a bridge of amity between the two countries.

The proposal for establishing a radio channel with content sharing from both the countries was discussed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh in June 2015, according to Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

The new radio channel will cater to Bengali speaking people of India and Bangladesh, said the Indian side.

A state-of-the-art transmitter has been installed in Chinsurah in Bengal to enable the service to be broadcast throughout Bangladesh.

The service will be broadcast in India and Bangladesh on 594 KHz.