Lush green paddy fields in a bucolic setting, the elusive Royal Bengal Tigers and the august Jatiya Sangsad -- all have found their place on the Chittagong University (CU) shuttle trains.

All thanks to a German artist-couple who have embarked on an ambitious project in making the CU shuttle trains a whole lot prettier to look. Some 14 trains are part of the CU shuttle service that began in 1980.

Head of Germany's RUSB art group, Lucas Gilinger, and his wife Livia Gilinger are the two who have actually taken up the initiative of beautifying the coaches, with permission from the Bangladesh Railways and the CU top brass.

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They started their work on July 22 and will continue till July 27. A group of students as well as teachers of the university's Fine Arts department has also chipped in to beautify their beloved shuttle trains.

“Some four months ago, the German couple met with the vice-chancellor of CU and gave their proposal to carry out the project out of their own funds," said Professor SM Monirul Hasan, the university registrar.

After considering the overall prospects, the CU authorities granted them the permission, he added.

CU is located in Hathazari upazila on the outskirts of Chattogram city. To make the 22km journey from the city to the university campus easy for the students, the varsity authorities started the shuttle train service some 42 years ago.

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Currently, seven pairs of trains operate on the route, ferrying 10 to 12 thousand students to the university daily, said an official of Chattogram Railway.

Abul Kalam Azad, manager of Chattogram railway station, said, "The two artists chose the old railway station of Chattogram to carry out their work. We hope the students will enjoy the train ride to the fullest."