New northern rail line to cut travel distance, facilitate trade

The under-development dual-gauge rail line in Northern Bangladesh – between Bogura and Sirajganj – will cut travel distance and time with the capital Dhaka by one-third and facilitate trade, particularly that of agriculture, officials and stakeholders have said.

The railway distance between Bogura and Dhaka is currently 324 kilometres and takes 8-9 hours, which is expected to come down to 212 kilometres and 5-6 hours respectively, thanks to the new line.

"The Dhaka-Bogura train route will be cut by 112 kilometres. It will save time and cost," Kazi Sumon, senior sub-assistant engineer of Railway West Zone, told The Business Standard.

Currently, the Rangpur Express and Lalmonirhat Express trains operate on the route. With the reduction in distance, the trains will be able to save at least Tk4.33 crore in fuel costs per year, he explained.

"The demand for the Bogura-Sirajganj railway has been there for a long time. It will open new horizons of trade and commerce in the region. Farmers will benefit significantly as their goods can be transported to other parts of the country fast," added Mahfuzul Islam Raj, vice-president of the Bogura Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"People are ready to sacrifice their lands for the construction of the railway. But they want a fast implementation of it," he told TBS.

Launched in 2018, the project progressed slowly thanks to the Covid-19 situation, according to project officials. It is, however, nearing a breakthrough regarding construction.

"The first out of two phases of railway line construction is about to be completed. We have finalised the detailed design and almost finished the tender process. The acquisition of land, which is a second-phase work, has also started," said Monirul Islam Firozi, director of the project, which has been titled "Bogra-Sirajganj New Dual Gauge Railway Construction".

"Letters have been sent to the deputy commissioners of Bogura and Sirajganj regarding no-objection certificates to acquire 960 acres of land. Hopefully, the construction work will begin soon," he told The Business Standard, adding that although 2023 has been the deadline for the railway project, it has been proposed to extend it by one year.

When contacted, Bogura Deputy Commissioner Md Saiful Islam said the project has already obtained administrative approval for land acquisition. "Now the authorities have sought our permission on the acquisition of land. We will talk to the Department of Environment, the Fire Service and other departments and give our no-objection soon."

According to railway sources, the construction of the railway was first planned in 2005, but it did not progress due to a lack of funding. Later in a public meeting in Bogura in 2015, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured the construction of the railway line. In 2017, when India granted the third line of credit to Bangladesh, the project got priority. Finally, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the project in July 2018 at an estimated cost of Tk5,580 crore – Tk3,146 crore as loan from India and Tk2,433 crore from the government.

Meanwhile, in September last year, the Indian firms Rite Limited and Aarvee Associates were appointed as consultants for the project. Officials have said that apart from the rail line, 16 kilometres of loop lines and eight new railway stations will be constructed between Bogura and Sirajganj. The stations will be at Kahalu, Ranirhat, Ariabazar, Sherpur, Chandaikona, Raiganj, Krishandia and Sadanandpur.

The new railway line will directly benefit people in Bogura, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Rangpur and Lalmonirhat.

"The project should be implemented fast considering its importance as it can help further boost industries and employment in Bogura as well as the northern region," said Tahmina Parveen Shyamoli, member of the Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik committee of Bogura.