The government has initiated steps to extend Bangladesh’s railway connectivity to 10 additional districts as part of its broader plan to strengthen national transport infrastructure and improve regional mobility, said Road Transport and Bridges, Shipping and Railways Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam on Tuesday.
The minister made the remarks at a press briefing held at the Press Information Department (PID) conference room in the Secretariat following a high-level review meeting on railway development and connectivity, chaired by the Prime Minister.
He said the meeting conducted an overall assessment of railway services, ongoing infrastructure projects, current connectivity status and future expansion plans.
According to him, the Prime Minister reviewed the performance of the Railways Ministry, examined service quality and connectivity issues, and provided key directives to enhance efficiency and coverage across the country. Several decisions were taken during the review aimed at improving railway operations and expanding the network.
Rabiul Alam said major railway projects, including the Akhaura-Sylhet and Sirajganj-Bogura rail links, are already under implementation. The government has also approved an Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Dhirashram, while efforts are ongoing to upgrade railway infrastructure along the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor.
He added that key metre-gauge sections between Tongi and Akhaura, as well as Laksham and Sylhet, will be upgraded into dual-gauge double-track lines to address connectivity gaps and improve service efficiency.
At present, 49 districts are connected to the national rail network. The minister noted that the government’s election manifesto had pledged full rail connectivity across all 64 districts. As part of that commitment, feasibility studies and route planning are underway to extend services to 10 districts that currently remain underserved or unconnected.
He also highlighted plans to expand commuter rail services around Dhaka to ease transport pressure for workers and businesspeople, citing Manikganj as an example of a nearby district still lacking rail access. Proposed commuter services would link Dhaka with surrounding districts such as Manikganj and Narsingdi, similar to existing suburban rail routes like Dhaka-Narayanganj and Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur, improving daily travel convenience.
