The entire Bangladesh would be brought under the rail network by constructing new railways, Railways Minister Md Zillul Hakim said on Thursday. "Railways will be made a safer mode of transport by improving the quality of service," the minister was speaking at a reception organised by Pangsha-Baliakandi and Kalukhali madrasa teachers-employees of Rajbari at Pansha George Government High School ground. No mechanism yet to take action against misinformation from abroad: Mohammad Arafat   The Ministry of Railways will take strict action against black marketers of train tickets. Law enforcers have already arrested several members of this gang and it will continue. There will be no problem in getting the train tickets for the upcoming Eid trip, everyone will get the tickets easily. 'Sahaja'.com, railway employees and some unscrupulous officials are involved in the black market of train tickets, the minister said. Nasrul Hamid trashes demand for removing electricity-run autorickshaws from streets He said that railways were destroyed during the BNP's regime. Now, the BNP wants to destroy the railway system by setting fire to coaches. The authority concerned has been directed to improve the quality of food for the passengers on the train, added the minister. No narcotic substances found in energy drinks: Industries Minister  Among others, Zilla Parishad Chairman Shafiqul Morshed Aruj, Pangsha Upazila Parishad Chairman Farid Hasan Odud, Baliakandi Upazila Parishad Abul Kalam Azad, Pangsha Upazila Awami League President Khondkar Saiful Islam Buro were present.

Mentioning that the work on Chattogram-Dohazari-Cox's Bazar train route is going on in full swing, Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujon says the rail line will open within this year. Talking to UNB the minister says they are working to complete the project between June and July of this year. “Hopefully, we can finish the work by this time. And if the work is not completed in June for any reason, it may take one or two more months. Even then we will be able to travel to Cox's Bazar by train within this year,” he says. The minister says that 80 percent of the construction work of Dohazari-Cox's Bazar project has been completed, and the remaining 20 percent will be finished by this time. When completed, the 100-km new railway line from Dohazari to Cox’s Bazar will ensure a 'pleasant and comfortable' journey, the minister says. Besides, it will bring a revolutionary change in overall economy and boost tourism in Cox's Bazar, he says. READ: Dhaka underground metro rail: Inauguration of construction work on February 2 The railway minister says that the services will run with high-quality coaches for tourists in Cox's Bazar. A new project has been taken to implement this, and 54 coaches will be purchased under this project, which is designed with wide windows. “Travelers will get a chance to enjoy the natural scenario very easily,” he says. According to the project, there are eight stations along the 100-km railway including at Satkania, Lohagara, Chakaria, Dulahazara, Eidgaon, Ramu and Cox's Bazar Sadar. To facilitate this, three big bridges have been constructed on Sangu, Matamuhuri and Bakkhali rivers. Besides, 43 small bridges, 201 culverts and 144 level crossings have been constructed on the railway. A flyover is being constructed in Keochia area of Satkania, and two highway crossings in Ramu and Cox's Bazar areas. An overpass of 50 metres and three underpasses are being constructed for the movement of elephants and other wildlife. Mofizur Rahman, director of the project, said that more than 50-km of the railway line is now visible. Most of the construction of bridges and culverts has been completed. The remaining ones will be finished in the next few months. READ: Chattogram also to have metro rail service: Quader As of last December, the progress of the project is 80 percent. The project deadline is June 2024. “However, we are trying to complete the work by June-October 2023,” the official added. He also said that a spectacular iconic railway station is being constructed on 29 acres of land in the Hajipara area of Jhelongja Union, seven kilometers east-north of Cox's Bazar Sadar. The station is being modeled after a beach oyster. The area of the six-storey station building is 1,82,000 square feet. Three platforms of 650 metres in length and 12 meters in width are being constructed near the iconic building. Besides, a railway residential area has been built next to it. Eight buildings are nearing completion. Apart from residential hotels, the station also has facilities like canteen, lockers and car parking. Tourists can leave their luggage in the station lockers and spend the day at the beach. At least 46,000 people can travel through this station a day, the project director added. “A direct railway connection with Cox’s Bazar will change fortunes in the beach town as tourists always want to reach their destinations without hazards for their perfect vacation,” he said. READ: Metro rail operates upon electrical & mechanical system installed by L&T On April 3, 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone for the construction of the railway between Dohazari-Ramu-Cox's Bazar and Ramu-Ghumdhum.  

The train service from Dhaka to Bhanga through the Padma Bridge is expected to be opened in March next year, said Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan on Sunday. “If not possible in March, it will be opened for traffic in June next year,” said the minister while inspecting the progress of construction work of Mawa railway station under Padma Bridge project at Mawa end of Louhajong upazila in Munshiganj. After the inauguration of the bridge next month, the work of installing the railway tracks on the bridge will start from July which is expected to be completed in six months, he added. There were plans to open Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga rail service on the day of opening of the Padma Bridge, but it was not possible to work on the upper part of the bridge as the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project Authority did not get the permission due to technical reasons, he said. Also read: Padma Bridge to be inaugurated in June: Quader He said the progress of 39 kms railway from Dhaka to Mawa is about 60.4 per cent while the progress of 42 kms railway from Mawa to Bhanga is 78 per cent and Bhanga to Jashore is 49.5 per cent. The overall progress of the railway bridge from Dhaka to Jashore is 57.50 per cent and the total 172 kilometres railway project from Dhaka to Jashore will be completed in 2024, he added. The rail line of Padma Bridge project is about 169 km from Dhaka to Jashore. The cost of this project has been estimated at around Tk 40,000 crore. The government of Bangladesh will finance about Tk 18,000 crore and the Chinese government will provide the rest of the money. On May 11, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said the much-hyped Padma Bridge will be inaugurated in June and preparations are going on for its opening. The minister said the work progress of the main bridge is 98 percent while river training is 92 percent and the progress of carpeting work is 91 percent. The total work progress of the project is 93.50 percent, he said.

Transparency International Bangladesh has condemned the suspension of  a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) for fining three people claiming to be Railway Minister’s relatives who were travelling without tickets. TIB in a press release on Saturday said that “As such a situation has arisen involving the Railway Minister and the ticketless passengers used his identity, he should resign from his position temporarily for the sake of a fair and impartial investigation into the incident.” TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman said, “The incident is a shameless and worst example of abuse of power and power has been misused in two ways in this incident. Firstly, the ticketless passengers claimed to be the relatives of the Railway Minister assuming that the existing law of the railways does not apply to them! Secondly, The TTE was immediately suspended over a phone call without being given any chance to defend himself.” Also read: Info minister considers legal action against TIB for lies The concerned ticket inspector had fulfilled his duty but dismissing him when he should have been rewarded sent the wrong message to the people that the seizure of power and irregularities are the reality, he said. “Moreover, this worst example will still be considered a strong negative message for the very few who are faithfully and honestly performing their duties in their respective fields,” said Iftekharuzzaman. Also read: Zahid trashes TIB Covid report as non-transparent

There has been no decision yet over operating trains at half of their capacities, said Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujon. “No decision has been taken yet over carrying 50% passengers in trains…we’ll let you know if there’s any decision,” he said. Read: Harsh restrictions back in Bangladesh as Covid situation worsens  The Railways Minister came up with the information while talking to reporters at a deal-signing ceremony at Railway Bhaban in the capital on Tuesday. On Monday, the government has imposed restrictions on public movement and other activities like operating public transport at their half capacities amid the growing concern over the new Omicron variant of Coronavirus.

Some 3214 acres of land of Bangladesh Railway are now under the clutches of land grabbers across the country, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan told Parliament on Tuesday. “The amount of unused (fallen) land of Bangladesh Railways is 10,843.15 acres and 3,213.78 acres of land remain under illegal occupation,” he said replying to a written question from BNP MP Aminul Islam (Chapainawabganj-2). Read: Public Debt Bill lands in Parliament Of the illegally occupied land, the highest 620 acres are in Rajshahi district, 321 acres in Rajbari, 282 acres in Sirajganj, 280 acres in Bagerhat, 210 acres  in Kurigram, 183 acres in Chattogram, 154 acres in Faridpur, 143 acres in Pabna, 128 acres in Gaibandha, 113 acres in Nilphamari, 106 acres in Lalmonirhat, 103 in Jhenaidah and 56 acres in Kushtia.   The amount of illegally occupied land is less than 50 acres in other districts, according to the statistics placed by the Minister in the House. Responding to a starred question from Jatiya Party MP Shameem Haider Patwary (Gaibandha-1), the Railways Minister said drives are being conducted to recover the  grabbed railway land. Read:Patents bill placed in Parliament In reply to a written question from Awami League MP Didarul Alam (Chattogram-4), the Railways Minister said the government will collect 400 more modern coaches –-200 broad-gauge and 200 meter-gauge—for Bangladesh Railways within the next two years with the fund of European Investment Bank and the Tenders Financing. He said a project is underway now to collect 150 meter-gauge and 100 broad-gauge passenger coaches from South Korean and China respectively.

Brahmanbaria railway station which was vandalised and torched by Hefazat-e-Islam activists and supporters on March 26 resumed its full-scale operation on Saturday. The full-fledged operation of the station began with the stoppage of Jayantika Express train at the station on its way from Dhaka to Sylhet. Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan and Brahmanbaria Sadar MP  Obaidul Moktadir Chowdhury inaugurated the operation of the station from Kamalapur station in Dhaka Brahmanbaria railway station respectively in the morning. Read: Railways Minister seeks Russian investment in railway sector Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said that on March 26, the station master's room, operating room, VIP room, chief booking assistant's room, ticket counter, signaling equipment including panel board, level crossing gate with point box and other installations were vandalized and set on fire at Brahmanbaria rail station. The attacks caused a loss of Tk 2.5 crore to Bangladesh Railway. Stoppages of all intercity trains were suspended at Brahmanbaria station after the incident. Read: Natore’s Azimnagar railway station closed He said that trains will stop at the station as before from now, he said adding that 14 intercity, 6 mail and 4 commuter trains stop at the station. Railway Station Master Shoaib Mia said that with the resumption of the activities of Brahmanbaria station it has been upgraded from D category to B category rail station.

A total of 110 incidents of stoning moving trains have been reported till September this year, said Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujon on Sunday. “Twenty nine people suffered injuries while 103 windowpanes of different train bogies were damaged due to throwing stones at trains,” he said while talking at a press briefing at Rail Bhaban in the city. Read: Ex-DU prof dies as train rams car in Gazipur “We want relief from this problem and are working in a coordinated way to prevent it. Already the government has identified the spots where stoning incidents occur frequently,” said the Minister.

As part of initiative taken to modernise the railway services, more than 50 railway stations are now being renovated on the occasion of the Mujib Year, said Railways Minister Md. Nurul Islam Sujan on Sunday. “The government has taken different initiatives in order to build a modern, up-to-date and advanced railway communication system,” he said. The minister said this while laying the foundation stone of a modern public toilet adjacent to the Kamalapur Railway Station here. WaterAid Bangladesh and Bangladesh Railway jointly constructed the toilet, said a PID handout. “Some 52 railway stations are being renovated and modernised throughout the country on the occasion of the Mujib birth centenary. These will have modern toilets,” he said. Read: After 56 yrs, Bangladesh-India rail link to reopen Sunday Nurul said many projects are now being implemented and many others have already been undertaken for the development of the railway sector. “Old rail tracks and bridges are being repaired. New rail coaches and engines are being brought. The new trains would have bio toilets to avoid the pollution of the environment,” he said. He said the Khulna-Mongla railway and Tongi-Joydebpur double-track railway would be launched  next year. Had the railway faced no brunt of Coronavirus, the sector would be more developed now, he said. The minister said the Bangladesh Railway has taken initiative to form a consultancy firm under its own management as part of enhancing the capacity. “We would be able to provide consultancy service with our own manpower and thus it would save the foreign currency,” he said. Talking about the new public toilet, he said WaterAid Bangladesh and Bangladesh Railway will also construct two such toilets at the valiant freedom fighter Sirajul Islam Railway Station in Panchagarh and Ishwardi Railway Station in Pabna. Read: Dhaka’s first-ever metro rail set to start by December 2022, says project chief The public toilet would be a friendly one to women, children and even persons with disabilities.  Alongside the separate entry doors for both women and men, there would be safe water, rainwater conservation system, breast-feeding corner and solar power system in the toilets. Railway Secretary Md. Salim Reza and WaterAid Bangladesh country director Hasin Jahan also spoke at the function presided over by Director General of Bangladesh Railways Dhirendra Nath Mazumder.

Dhaka, June 11 (UNB) – Railway Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujon, 65, has reportedly tied the knot for a second time, almost three years after the death of his first wife. Speaking to UNB Friday, the minister said his new wife Shammi Akhtar Moni, 44, works as an administrative officer at Cambrian School and College. Read:Dohazari-Ghumdhum rail line to connect China, Malaysia "My first wife Nilufar Jahan died in December 2018 just before the 11th parliamentary polls. We have two daughters and a son," Nurul said.  He was elected member of parliament from Panchagarh-2 in the ninth, 10th and 11th parliamentary elections.   Earlier, Mujibul Haque, former minister of the same ministry, got married at the age of 67 after taking charge.