Sirajganj people want truncated rail communication restored
Monday, 9 January 2012
A Correspondent
SIRAJGANJ, Jan 8: Railway communication between Sirajganj town and other places of the country has remained suspended for the last few years paralyzing two railway stations in the town.
Once 14 trains including Sundarban Express, Padma Express, Jamuna Express, Intercity Express and Chapainawabganj mail train used to run on different routes from four railway stations namely Baza'ar station, Raipur station, Sirajganj Ghat and Ranigram Ghat station in the town.
At present, two railway stations namely Baza'ar station and Raipur station have remained active and a local train runs from Baza'ar station via Raipur station to Iswardi under management of private sector.
As a result, Sirajganj dwellers are deprived of fuel rail communication opportunities. Similarly, hundreds of people, who were involved with different works centering rail communication have become jobless and are leading a miserable life.
But, after implementation of Jamuna bridge, another rail line was set up about eleven Km away from the town and all trains except a local train were withdrawn from the town. Therefore, hundreds of labourers and many storekeepers, who had been surviving centering the train and railway stations, have turned jobless.
Sirajganj town dwellers staged several demonstrations including rallies, procession and sit-in programmes on several occasions demanding full train service in the town. They also urged the authorities concerned to set up a rail line from Sirajganj Baza'ar station to Bogra railway station. Though succeeding governments pledged to install rail line nothing was done ever since.
At present, around 800 acres of land of railway department has remained abandoned. Besides, there are a railway police station, hospital, staff quarters, loco shades and many other installations in the town. On the other hand, most of the land on both sides of the rail lines has already gone to the occupation of local influentials.
Sources said that Sirajganj town was famous for rail communication since British period. But now, almost all the trains' movement has remained stopped from the Baza'ar station and Raipur station in the town. Whereas, a newly railway station namely Shaheed M Monsur Ali station has been set up at Koddermorh area in Soydabad union of Sirajganj Sadar upazila. The newly established railway station is around 11 km away from the district town. Consequently, the town dwellers are facing problems during travelling by train due to long distance between the town and railway station.
Dr. Zahurul Haque Raza, Convener of Sirajganj Shartha Rakkha Sangram Committee said, if a rail line is installed from Sirajganj to Bogra, another door of development will be unveiled for the people of the northern region. For this reason, the government should take necessary initiatives to set up the line immediately.
SIRAJGANJ, Jan 8: Railway communication between Sirajganj town and other places of the country has remained suspended for the last few years paralyzing two railway stations in the town.
Once 14 trains including Sundarban Express, Padma Express, Jamuna Express, Intercity Express and Chapainawabganj mail train used to run on different routes from four railway stations namely Baza'ar station, Raipur station, Sirajganj Ghat and Ranigram Ghat station in the town.
At present, two railway stations namely Baza'ar station and Raipur station have remained active and a local train runs from Baza'ar station via Raipur station to Iswardi under management of private sector.
As a result, Sirajganj dwellers are deprived of fuel rail communication opportunities. Similarly, hundreds of people, who were involved with different works centering rail communication have become jobless and are leading a miserable life.
But, after implementation of Jamuna bridge, another rail line was set up about eleven Km away from the town and all trains except a local train were withdrawn from the town. Therefore, hundreds of labourers and many storekeepers, who had been surviving centering the train and railway stations, have turned jobless.
Sirajganj town dwellers staged several demonstrations including rallies, procession and sit-in programmes on several occasions demanding full train service in the town. They also urged the authorities concerned to set up a rail line from Sirajganj Baza'ar station to Bogra railway station. Though succeeding governments pledged to install rail line nothing was done ever since.
At present, around 800 acres of land of railway department has remained abandoned. Besides, there are a railway police station, hospital, staff quarters, loco shades and many other installations in the town. On the other hand, most of the land on both sides of the rail lines has already gone to the occupation of local influentials.
Sources said that Sirajganj town was famous for rail communication since British period. But now, almost all the trains' movement has remained stopped from the Baza'ar station and Raipur station in the town. Whereas, a newly railway station namely Shaheed M Monsur Ali station has been set up at Koddermorh area in Soydabad union of Sirajganj Sadar upazila. The newly established railway station is around 11 km away from the district town. Consequently, the town dwellers are facing problems during travelling by train due to long distance between the town and railway station.
Dr. Zahurul Haque Raza, Convener of Sirajganj Shartha Rakkha Sangram Committee said, if a rail line is installed from Sirajganj to Bogra, another door of development will be unveiled for the people of the northern region. For this reason, the government should take necessary initiatives to set up the line immediately.