Finally, more than nine months after the opening of the highway of the Padma Bridge, Bangladesh Railway on Tuesday (April 4) conducted the trial run of a special train on the newly constructed Bhanga-Mawa rail line set up along the lower deck of the bridge. Obviously, the successful completion of the 16 minutes journey of the train, fitted with newly-arrived nine Chinese coaches, from Bhanga to Mawa has further widened the scope of extending the communication links across the country. As the railway minister, who took part in the brief train journey accompanied by lawmakers and other government high-ups, said during the launch of the trial run that the regular service along the Bhanga-Mawa train route is expected to begin in September this year. This is indeed a reassuring piece of news particularly for the 22 south and south-western districts of the country.
Notably, it is the poor transport link of this area with the capital Dhaka, which accounts for 40 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and the rest of the country, that so far held back the region's economic growth. Now the economic impact of that 169-km railway service underway under the Padma Bridge Rail Link (PBRL) Project between Dhaka and Jashore via Bhanga and Narail, when in operation, as expected, from September this year, will be phenomenal. When the rail link is further extended to the country's second-largest port at Mongla, as envisaged under the PBRL project worth Tk 392.46 billion, it will be a big boost to the trade and investment in the entire region. What is more, if the Payra seaport being developed at Kalapara in the southern district of Patuakhali, is also included in the rail network along with a roadway, the growth potential of the region will increase tremendously. Due to the Mongla seaport's shorter distance (170 km) from the capital city compared to that of the Chattogram port (264 km), the time of travel to the region will also be considerably reduced.
Thus the business activities like the fish trade will be bolstered greatly once the southern and southwestern road and rail links are fully operational. Add to that the prospect of food processing industry, trade in jute and other agricultural products, not least tourism as the cost of doing business comes down substantially due to the shortened travel time with the nation's economic and administrative heart, the capital, Dhaka. However, to achieve the feat, industrial zones have to be set up in the region for starting industries including pharmaceuticals, garments, textiles, leather goods, and cement, to mention but a few. To that end, facilities including the supply of adequate gas, electricity, and other necessary resources have to be ensured by the government.
Hopefully, with the improvement in communication network and the creation of employment opportunities, as it will stimulate the growth of commerce and industry, the cityward flow of jobless people from the region will decline markedly. However, extreme care needs to be taken while developing the road and rail networks so that existing local-level road links are not unnecessarily dismantled or the roadside trees not cut down indiscriminately in the name of development. Overall, the extension of the rail links coupled with improved roadways to Jashore, Mongla port, and other important points heralds a new era for the economy of the southern and southwestern parts of Bangladesh. Hopefully, those in charge will be up to the challenge.
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