ZCZC
BSS-37
LAUNCHING-TRAINS (with picture)
People cheerful getting three trains in 3 N-districts
By Mamun Islam
RANGPUR, Oct 16, 2019 (BSS) – A wave of cheerfulness gripped the people of
Kurigram, Rangpur and Lalmonirhat districts as soon as Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina launched three intercity trains this noon.
The premier inaugurated the new intercity train of ‘Kurigram Express’ while
‘Rangpur Express’ and ‘Lalmoni Express’ inducting modern and new coaches to
improve train services through a video conferencing from Ganabhaban in the
capital.
With launching of the much-anticipated inter-city train ‘Kurigram Express’
in Kurigram, thousands of people who were present at the Kurigram side during
the historical moment became delighted with joy and gratefulness to the
premier.
On the occasion, Railway Minister Advocate Nurul Islam Sujon and Deputy
Commissioner Sultana Parveen spoke to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from
Kurigram Railway Station platform.
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md Zakir Hossain, Md Ponir
Uddin Ahmed, MP, District Council Chairman and former Awami League (AL)
lawmaker Md Zafar Ali and Police Superintendent Muhibul Islam Khan were
present.
Sultana Parveen discussed various issues and possibilities of the district
when the Prime Minister talked to one beneficiary woman of Kurigram district
Parboti Rani Sheel.
Parboti could not control her emotion with joy and broke down into tears
while thanking the prime minister for giving her a house with two pacca rooms
bringing back her happiness.
Poor Parboti used to work in the house of others and she had no shelter to
reside in Harishwar Taluk village of Kurigram sadar upazila.
“I have now a pacca house with kitchen and sanitary latrine and all these
facilities were never in my dream and thoughts,” Parboti said.
The newly commissioned ‘Kurigram Express’ intercity train will start
commercial journey on the Kurigram-Dhaka-Kurigram route of Bangladesh Railway
(BR) from tomorrow (October 17).
Following quicker spread of the new intercity train inauguration news,
thousands of women, men and children came to see their long-cherished dream
train.
Ignoring obstruction of the security personnel, common people, thousands in
number, rushed to Rajarhat Railway Station and other areas alongside the rail
line to see the train.
The picture of the ‘Kurigram Express’ train has already become viral on the
Facebook creating a flood of joy among the people of Kurigram.
Talking to local reporters, BR officials said the train will not run on
Wednesday every week. It will leave Kurigram Railway Station daily at 7:20 am
and arrive in Dhaka at 5:25 pm for the rest six days of the week, he added.
On the other hand, the ‘Kurigram Express’ will leave Kamlapur station in
Dhaka at 8:45 pm and arrive in Kurigram at 6:20 am.
The train with 14 bogies will have 10 stoppages at Rangpur, Badarganj,
Parbotipur, Joypurhat, Santahar, Madhnagar, Natore, Tangail, Mouchak and
Dhaka Airport on the route to enable passengers to get up and down.
The ‘Kurigram Express’ train will cross 286.80 miles or 461 kilometres way
every day on the Kurigram-Dhaka-Kurigram route.
A total of 657 seats will be available for journey from Kurigram to Dhaka
and 638 seats for journey from Dhaka to Kurigram.
A total of 160 seats will remain reserved for passengers at Kurigram
Railway Station.Seat fares have been fixed at Taka 510 for economy category,
Taka 972 for AC chairs, Taka 1,168 for AC seats and Taka 1,804 for AC berths.
Talking to BSS, President of Kurigram Probin Hitoishi Sangha Samiul Haque
Nantu said, “Our beloved Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resolved sorrows of
Kurigram people by inaugurating the ‘Kurigram Express’ with mother’s love.”
“All the development visible in Kurigram has been implemented by Sheikh
Hasina. That’s why her government is needed repeatedly,” he added.
Freedom fighter Sirajul Islam Tuku said, “We finally got the inter-city
train. It looks like a dream. I have become so happy and can’t able to
expresses my feeling in language at this last part of my life.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also simultaneously inaugurated the “Rangpur
Express’ and ‘Lalmoni Express’ trains with addition of new imported coaches
with modern facilities through the videoconferencing from Ganabhaban.
Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Md Asib Ahsan in his welcome address
highlighted various activities of the government, successful implementation
and ongoing activities for development of the district.
The Prime Minister spoke to a student Roksana Rose Sompa through the video
conferencing in Rangpur side at Rangpur Railway Station.
Sompa thanked the premier and expressed deep gratitude to her for gifting
the ‘Rangpur Express’ intercity train in 2011 in the wake of the long demand
of Rangpur resident.
Abul Kalam Md Ahasanul Hoque Chowdhury, MP, Rangpur Metropolitan Police
Commissioner Abdul Alim Mahmud, Superintendent of Police Biplob Kumar Sarkar,
District Council Chairman Advocate Chhafia Khanam, Acting President of
district AL Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed, its General Secretary Advocate Rezaul Karim
Raju, President of city AL Shafiur Rahman Shafi, its General Secretary Tushar
Kanti Mandal, senior BR officials were present.
BSS/SPL/MI/SSS/1955 hrs