The government has proposed inclusion of Padma bridge rail route with Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) Network aiming at expanding regional railway connectivity.
Officials said the Ministry of Railway has already sent a proposal in this regard to the UN Economic and Social Commission of Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) as it will hold Working Group meeting in November to discuss the proposals for the new rail routes of all member states.
"We have taken decision to request the UN ESCAP to include Dhaka-Jessore as the fourth route of Trans-Asian Railway Network. The possibility of inclusion of this new route has been opened up with the progress of the Padma bridge construction," said an official.
He said Bangladesh Railway has already made progress in setting up the rail track between Dhaka and Jessore through Mawa-Bhanga-Narail which has been considered as 'missing' link.
Railway link now connects Jessore and Khulna with Dhaka through Bangabandhu Bridge which is also used to have link with two Indian borders and Mongla port.
At present, three routes of TAR are to cross the country connecting Bangladesh with India, Nepal and Myanmar through the borders like Gede, Benapole, Rohanpur, Birol and Gundum. Sources said BR sent the request letter to the UNESCAP after receiving a letter from its headquarters through the Bangladesh Embassy in Thailand on March 31.
The UNESCAP had set a deadline of June, asking all member countries to send the proposals on new routes so that it can complete all necessary procedures before the Working Group meeting to be held from November 23-24.
According to the Intergovernmental Agreement on the TAR Network, any amendment to the TAR needs to be adopted by the working group by a two-thirds majority of the parties. The amendment as adopted shall be communicated by the secretariat to the UN secretary general who shall circulate it to all parties for acceptance.
Official sources said the ministry has sent the proposal in time and they are now meeting necessary queries of the UNESCAP in this regard.
Bangladesh has been a part of TAR Network after the cabinet ratified the TAR routes in March 2009 and the parliament in June.
The Intergovernmental Agreement on TAR Network was signed on November 10 in 2006 by seventeen Asian nations as part of UNESCAP's efforts to build a 114,000-kilometre transcontinental railway network aiming at offering efficient rail transport services for goods and passengers in the ESCAP region and between Asia and Europe and between Europe and Pacific ports in China.
Existing three routes of TAR in Bangladesh are Gede (West Bengal, India)-Darshana-Ishwardi-Jamtoil-Joydebpur-Tongi-Akhaura-Chittagong-Dohazari-Gundum(Mynmar border station), Singabad (West Bengal, India)-Rohanpur-Rajshahi-Abdulpur-Ishwardi and Radhikapur (West Bengal, India)-Birol-Dinajpur-Parbatipur-Abdulpur-Ishwardi. There are two sub-routes-Tongi- Dhaka and Akhaura-Kulaura-Shahbazpur-Mahishasan (India).
Sources said BR has already taken necessary initiatives to establish 'missing links' in Bangladesh including Dohazari, Chittagong to Gundum near Myanmar border, Akhaura-Agartola and over 400-kilometre rail route through Padma bridge.
The Padma bridge-centred rail route has been planned to be constructed in two phases-from Dhaka to Bhanga through Mawa in the first phase and Bhanga to Narail in the second phase. There is a 10-km rail track from Narail to Jessore.
Under the new plans, broad gauge rail lines from Dhaka-Mawa, Bhanga-Jajira-Mawa, Bhanga-Jessore, Bhanga-Barisal and Khulna-Mongla Port will be established after setting up of a railway line on Padma bridge.
This trade railway corridor will cut the BR's route by nearly 100 km in future and remove operational bottlenecks or load constraints which exist in Bangabandhu Bridge.
Officials said the first phase of Padma bridge rail link project is now under the scrutiny of the Planning Commission for approval. The government needs Tk 170.41 billion to implement the project.
smunima@yahoo.com
