The tourists rail communication from Dohazari of Chattogram to Cox’s Bazar will be introduced before the scheduled time, which will facilitate the transport of almost 1 lac tourists daily.
In this iconic station, for both the local and the foreign tourists, there will be ‘luggage station,’ reception room, entertainment spaces for children, passenger lounge, shopping mall, restaurant etc. The tourists could reach here in just two hours from Chattogram and seven hours from Dhaka. According to the authorities concerned, the construction works will be completed before the scheduled time.
The construction works are going on in quick pace. Already, rail line of 70 km is visible. Each day around 1,400 labors are working on it and 750 more workers likely to join to the project.
For carrying the goods, there will be special ‘Refrigerated Wagon Service.’ If the work-pace goes on in the same momentum, the authorities plan to start trial train run on June-July and final run within September-October this year.
Upon the completion of construction works, the tourists come to visit the Cox’s Bazar sea-beach will have a pleasing journey experience. The number of tourists will be increased as well. The project will connect Bangladesh to the Trans-Asian Railway Corridor that already included Myanmar and China.
Project Director Engineer of Dohazari-Cox's Bazar-Ghumdhum Railway, Md. Mofizur Rahman, said that the construction of railway line is a landmark decision of the government. The work is progressing rapidly. Already 83 percent of the work has been completed. About 70 km of railway lines are visible and out of nine stations, two are completed, five are under beautification work and two are under construction. At present construction work is going on simultaneously in Cox's Bazar city, Ramu, Chakaria and Dohazari areas. About 1 thousand 400 workers are working daily.
He said, “I had sent a proposal to the ministry in June 2021 asking for 750 people in various positions for the management of a total of 100 kilometers of railway lines. The manpower has not been finalized yet.”
The Dohazari-Cox's Bazar rail line is being implemented at a cost of Tk 18 thousand 34 crore 48 lakh. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the railway construction work on April 3, 2011. 88 km from Dohazari to Ramu part and 12 km from Ramu to Cox's Bazar part are being constructed. 8 to 10 km of rail tracks are being laid every month. Under the project, the country's first state-of-the-art iconic railway station in the shape of an oyster is being constructed at Cox's Bazar. Through this, the country's tourism sector will advance another step.
The project, upon its completion, will create a safe, comfortable, cost-effective communication system for tourists and local people. Moreover, fish, salt, paper raw materials, forestry and agricultural products can be transported easily and at low cost. Initially, on Dhaka to Cox's Bazar and Chittagong to Cox's Bazar routes, 10 trains will run on dual gauge tracks. Cox's Bazar will be reached by rail in seven and a half hours from Dhaka and two and a half hours from Chittagong. About 1 lakh people can travel daily. Moreover, there will be a special refrigerated wagon service for transporting various products including fish, salt, and dried fruits from Cox's Bazar to other parts of the country. Distance from Chittagong to Cox's Bazar is 150 km. Distance from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar is 100 km. At present there is a railway line up to Dohazari. For this reason, the rail line is going to Cox's Bazar by crossing Bon Pahar river from Dohazari via Ramu. Nine stations are under construction. These include Dohazari, Satkania, Lohagara, Harbang, Chakaria, Dulahazra, Islamabad, Ramu and Cox's Bazar. These stations will have computer based interlock signal system and digital telecommunication system. Three big bridges will be constructed on Sangu, Matamuhuri and Bakkhali rivers. Apart from this, 43 small bridges, 201 culverts and 144 level crossings will be constructed on the entire railway.
Iconic Station: The country's only iconic railway station in the shape of an oyster is being constructed in Chanderpara area of Jhelongha Union of Cox's Bazar. The six-storied railway station building built on 29 acres of land is 1 lakh 87 thousand 37 square feet in size. A beautiful oyster-shaped fountain will be created in the open field in front of the main building. Passengers will enter the station through the oyster fountain. At this station, tourists can leave their luggage at the station and visit the beach and sightseeing places all day long and return to their destination by night train, without having any tension. Apart from this, the building will have passenger lounge, shopping mall, restaurants, star cannon hotel restaurant and conference hall.
Project director Mofizur Rahman said that 85 percent of the work including the six-storey building of the railway station has been completed. Now the finishing work is going on.
@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on May 5 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque
