Trade links with neighbours to be facilitated
The government will set up a railway track on the Padma Bridge as the Bangladesh Railway (BR) has taken up Tk 170.41 billion separate project for installing the new railway line between Dhaka and Bhanga, officials said Saturday.
“The Padma Bridge is likely to be ready for use in FY 2019-20. We have also planned completion of the proposed railway track construction by December, 2020,” said a BR official.
The ministry of railway last week sent the railway track setting up project proposal to the Panning Commission seeking its approval.
The 82-kilometre proposed railway line will be set up through 6.15 kilometre Padma Bridge, now under construction, in a bid to connect southwestern Bangladesh with the capital.
“The Padma Bridge construction work has already been started. It will be built with a railway line provision. We have planned to install a broad-gauge single railway track on the bridge to connect the country’s largest land port Benapole with the capital,” said another BR official.
“In the first phase, we have moved to construct the railway line from Dhaka to Bhanga, Faridpur by the year 2020. In the second phase, the Bhanga-to-Benapole line will be constructed,” he added.
The proposed railway communication between the land port and Dhaka city will enhance the scope of smooth and easy foreign trades with the neighbouring countries.
Under the current US$2.9 billion Padma Bridge project, the BBA is working to build the main bridge, river training works, connecting road at both the side of the Padma Bridge.
The Benapole (Jessore)-Bhanga-Padma Bridge-Mawa-Dhaka route will be one of the busiest corridors for Bangladesh.
Experts said this route will also connect neighbouring Myanmar and the seven-sister states of northeast India.
FHM Humayan Kabir
kabirhumayan10@gmail.com
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