Bangladesh is set to extend railway connectivity to 10 more districts, Railway Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam announced on Tuesday, marking a significant step toward the government’s pledge to connect all 64 districts by railway.
Speaking at a press conference at the Press Information Department (PID) conference room in the Secretariat, the minister said ten districts " Sherpur, Meherpur, Magura, Satkhira, Barishal, Barguna, Patuakhali, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, and Lakshmipur " have been identified for rail expansion.
“Our election manifesto committed to connecting all 64 districts by rail,” the minister said. He added that preliminary plans and possible rail alignments for the new districts have already been presented for consideration.
Currently, 49 of Bangladesh’s 64 districts are connected to the national railway system. These new initiatives emerged from a high-level review meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, where officials reassessed rail sector priorities and evaluated overall connectivity and service quality.
Among the major decisions, the government has approved in principle the construction of a dual-gauge double line along the Tongi-Akhaura and Laksam-Sylhet corridors, where metre-gauge tracks currently create a missing link. A chord line between Dhaka and Cumilla has also received policy-level approval, which would reduce travel distance by approximately 80 to 82 kilometres.
Plans for commuter train services on the Dhaka-Manikganj and Dhaka-Narsingdi routes were also announced. “Manikganj currently has no rail connectivity. We want people to be able to commute quickly between Dhaka and neighbouring districts,” the minister said.
Rabiul Alam stressed that past projects often built rail lines without procuring engines or coaches, a failure he said the government is determined to correct. From now on, tracks, locomotives, and rolling stock will be part of one single project, ensuring trains can run the moment a new line opens.
