Dream rail link stuck at the platform

For residents of northern Bangladesh, the proposed Sirajganj-Bogura railway line has long symbolised hope-of faster travel, stronger trade links and long-overdue regional integration. Touted as a "dream project," the rail corridor was expected to transform connectivity between Dhaka and the northwest. Yet more than seven years after its approval, construction has not begun, and the project now faces renewed uncertainty following India's withdrawal from financing.

The project was approved on October 30, 2018, by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). It was designed as a joint initiative between the Bangladesh government and India, funded largely through an Indian Line of Credit (LoC). The original cost was estimated at Tk 5,579.7 crore, with India committing Tk 3,146.59 crore. The LoC was set to expire on June 30, 2023, with completion initially expected within four years.

From the outset, however, the project struggled to gain momentum. Delays in appointing consultants and finalising technical designs pushed timelines back repeatedly. Indian authorities appointed a consultant only in September 2021, nearly three years after approval, while the final design was completed on the LoC's expiry date in June 2023. The overall project deadline was later extended to June 2026.

Despite these extensions, progress on the ground remained minimal. While feasibility studies and detailed designs were completed and most of the required land acquired, physical construction never began. In August 2024, following a student-led mass uprising that led to the fall of the Awami League government, India formally withdrew from the project, effectively cancelling LoC financing and bringing further work to a halt.

In response, Bangladesh Railway has begun efforts to revive the project through alternative funding. A pre-development project proposal (PDPP) has recently been submitted to the Planning Commission. Under revised estimates, the cost has risen sharply to Tk 10,391 crore, reflecting inflation, an expanded scope and a plan to construct a double-track line instead of the originally proposed configuration.

Officials in the interim government say they remain committed to implementing the project. According to railway sources, verbal interest has been expressed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), although no formal letters of intent have yet been submitted to the Ministry of Railways or the Economic Relations Division.