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DHAKA: Communications minister Syed Abul Hossain on Thursday informed parliament that the government had decided to link Bangladesh to Trans- Asian Railway network besides the road network of 32-nation Asian Highway connecting Asia and Europe. ‘The government has decided to join the Trans-Asian Railway [network],’ the minister said while responding to a question from Tahura Ali, a ruling Awami League lawmaker, in parliament.
The minister said the council of advisers of the military-backed interim government of Fakhruddin Ahmed at a meeting on May 5, 2007 had approved a proposal to sign the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway network.
By signing the agreement on November 9, 2007 in line with its decision to join the regional network, Bangladesh became the 20th country to do so. The Awami Leageu-led alliance government on March 9, 2009 approved a proposal to ratify the agreement, the minister said.
Bangladesh has included three proposed routes for the railway network.
Route 1 includes Gede(India)-Darshana-Ishwardi-Bangabandhu Bridge-Joydevpur-Tongi-Akhaura-Chittagong-Dohazari-Gundum-Myanmar border with sub-route 1 Tongi-Dhaka and sub-route 2 Akhaura-Kulaura-Shahbazpur.
The second route includes Singabad (India)-Rohonpur-Rajshahi-Abdulpur-Ishwardi and then the rest of route one and other sub-route.
The third route includes Radhikapur(India)-Biral-Dinajpur-Parbatipur-Abdulpur-Ishwardi and then the rest of the route one and sub routes.
Among the routes, the minister said, the government will have to lay new railway from Dohazari in Chittagong district to Ramu in Conx’s Bazaar district. It will also have to set up track from Ramu to Gundum.
The government will also take up a few other schemes for infrastructure development to link up with the regional railway network. A project has been taken up to resume rail communication between Radhikapur in India and Birol in northern Bangladesh. Another project was approved to resume Kulaura-Shahbazpur railway section.
To another question from opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawmaker Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anny, the minister ruled out any possibility of allowing transit facilities to India after Bangladesh joins the Asian Highway network of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific.
‘India will not be given transit in the name of Asian Highway,’ the minister told parliament.
Bangladesh would reap the benefit of extended trade and commerce in the region through the connectivity. It will help improve Bangladesh’s tourism industry and facilitate easy and cost-effective travel with the countries in Asia and Europe.
The government has decided to sign the inter-governmental agreement of the UNESCAP to join the regional road networks.