Director General of Bangladesh Railway Md. Afzal Hossain has stated that the feasibility of launching a direct train service from Panchagarh to Cox's Bazar will be considered after converting the country's railway lines into broad-gauge. He also mentioned that expanding the railway line up to Banglabandha—the country's only quadripartite land port—can be implemented if both Bangladesh and India reach a mutual agreement. The project has been temporarily suspended as regional rail connectivity opportunities have not yet been established.
He made these remarks while answering questions from journalists on Friday (October 30) morning after arriving at Panchagarh Railway Station by train from Dhaka and inspecting various station operations and infrastructural facilities.
Regarding the launch of new trains from Panchagarh, the Director General informed that 18 new coaches have already arrived in the country. There is an immediate plan to introduce a new train from Panchagarh using these coaches. A total of 200 coaches are scheduled to arrive in phases, which will be used to launch new trains as well as replace older coaches across the railway network.
Addressing the prospect of a direct Panchagarh–Cox's Bazar train, he said it is part of a long-term plan. Not all railway lines in the country have been converted to broad-gauge yet. Once the broad-gauge conversion work is completed, the rationale for running a direct train between Panchagarh and Cox's Bazar will be assessed, particularly evaluating whether there will be sufficient passenger demand on this route.
On the extension of the rail line to the Banglabandha land port, the Director General explained that a plan had previously been undertaken to extend the rail link from Panchagarh to Banglabandha. However, since there is no direct rail connection with India across the Banglabandha border, the chances of realizing the expected benefits from the project remain limited. Fulfilling domestic demand alone would not achieve the core objective of establishing regional connectivity.
He added that unless a connection is established with the Indian railway line across the border, expanding the rail line to Banglabandha will not yield the desired regional communication benefits. Considering the overall context, the project has been kept on hold for now.
Read nextSRB Raids Residential House in Chhagalnaiya: Drug Dealer Arrested with 40 kg HempThe Director General noted that if both Bangladesh and India agree on the matter and concur on establishing a rail link, the initiative to extend the railway line to Banglabandha will be implemented in the future.
Explaining the purpose of his inspection at Panchagarh Railway Station, he mentioned that the visit was meant to physically evaluate the current cargo loading-unloading facilities and assess future infrastructural needs.
He remarked that if passenger and freight demand increases and adequate space is available, the expansion of the station's railway lines will be considered. If necessary, initiatives could be taken to extend existing lines to accommodate more coaches or construct additional rail tracks alongside.
The Railway Director General concluded that subsequent decisions will be made after thoroughly evaluating Panchagarh Station's current capacity, future demands, and expansion potential.
During the visit, Panchagarh Railway Station Master Zahid Hasan, various station officials and employees, along with local leaders and activists of the District BNP, were present.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by SK Doyel Panchagarh Correspondent • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
