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New railway line to cut Dhaka-Chattogram travel time by 80 minutes: State Minister

Published : Saturday, 1 August, 2026 at 6:59 PM

Observer Online Report

A proposed railway line between Narayanganj and Cumilla could shorten the Dhaka-Chattogram rail distance by around 80 kilometres and cut travel time by about one hour and 20 minutes, State Minister for Railways Habibur Rashid MP said on Saturday.

He made the remarks at a press briefing at Chattogram Railway Station at 4pm.

Habibur said a feasibility study is underway for the new railway line as part of government efforts to reduce the distance between Dhaka and Chattogram.

Currently, a train journey between the two cities takes around two and a half to three hours. If the proposed project is implemented, the journey could take around one hour and 40 minutes, although the timeline would depend on the feasibility study and subsequent construction, he said.

The state minister also said the government plans to increase train services on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route from four to five pairs a day.

He said around 240,000 trees were damaged during construction of the Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar railway line, including the Chakaria section. The government is now considering a social afforestation programme in areas where trees are lacking to compensate for the environmental damage.

Regarding railway land, Habibur said no new leases would be issued, while existing leases without legal complications could be managed according to the law.

He also said complaints regarding Chattogram Railway Station would be investigated and action taken if allegations were found to be true.

On the tender process, he said there was no scope for partisanship and that any complaints would be investigated.

Habibur said the government had adopted a strict stance against drugs and would take action against anyone involved in drug-related activities, regardless of their position.

Senior railway officials and other concerned persons attended the briefing.

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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury

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