State Minister for Railways Habibur Rashid has said that another pair of intercity trains will be introduced on the Dhaka–Cox’s Bazar route this month, while the operation of the Cox’s Bazar Iconic Railway Station will be handed over to a private operator to ensure its full-scale management.
The announcement came during his visit to the Cox’s Bazar Iconic Railway Station at around 10:00am on Saturday.
The state minister said the number of passengers and tourists travelling to Cox’s Bazar had been steadily increasing, prompting the government to expand rail services and modernise passenger facilities.
He said the introduction of the new trains would ease the long-standing shortage of seats, reduce pressure on ticket availability and make travel between Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar more convenient, comfortable and efficient.
Habibur Rashid said the government intended to develop the Cox’s Bazar Iconic Railway Station not merely as a railway station but as an international-standard, tourism-friendly rail hub.
To achieve that goal, he said, the government planned to appoint a private operator to manage the station and ensure its full-scale operation.
During the visit, the state minister inspected different sections of the station and reviewed passenger services, infrastructure, cleanliness, security arrangements and ongoing operations.
He also exchanged views with railway officials and instructed them to expedite the station’s full commissioning while ensuring services that meet international standards.
Lutfur Rahman Kajal, the lawmaker for the Cox’s Bazar constituency, along with senior Bangladesh Railway officials and representatives from the Cox’s Bazar Iconic Railway Station, were also present during the visit.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Mohammad Morshed
