SANGSAD BHABAN, June 26, 2019 (BSS) – Railway Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan today said the country’s all districts will be brought under railway connectivity.
“At present, 44 districts of the country have been brought under railway network. Once the projects Bangladesh Railway has already taken and will take soon are implemented, rail connectivity will be established in 15 more districts,” the railway minister said while responding to a starred question placed by ruling party lawmaker Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury (Sylhet-3) in the Jatiya Sangsad with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
About setting up rail connectivity with neighbours, he said the government has taken initiatives to introduce two new interchange points of railway aiming to increase the railway connectivity with neighbouring India.
Noting that Akhaura (Bangladesh)-Agartala (India) is a new interchange point, Sujan said to introduce this point, rail track is being setting up from Gangasagar of Akhaura to the India border.
It is urgent to repair or construct rail line from Feni to Belonia to introduce the 33-km new interchange point, he said, adding that Bangladesh Railway has already sent a proposal regarding the construction or repair of Feni-Belonia rail line to the Economic Relations Division.
About the restoration of the closed interchange points, the railway minister said the Shahbazpur (Bangladesh)-Mahishasan (India) interchange point was closed in 2002, which was a part of the Trans-Asian Railway Network.
He said the government approved the Kulaura-Shahbazpur Rehabilitation project of Bangladesh Railways in 2011 aiming to introduce intercontinental rail communication.
On September 10, 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated the project through a videoconference.
Mentioning that the Burimari-Changrabandha interchange point was closed in 1971, Sujan said if three kilometer rail line from Burimari to Changrabandha could be set up and transshipment is introduced in Burimari, movement of goods will be easier with India, Bhutan and Bangladesh through interchange point.