Direct Pabna-Dhaka Train Service to Launch in August: Rail Minister

Shaikh Rabiul Alam, Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping, announced that direct train services on the Dhaka-Pabna route are scheduled to commence this upcoming August. The minister confirmed that locomotives are already fully prepared, and new coaches expected to arrive next month in July will be allocated to this route on a priority basis.

The minister made the disclosure on Saturday (June 20) afternoon while answering journalists' queries following an exchange of views with government officials and civil society members at the Pabna Circuit House auditorium.

Addressing structural issues within the transport sector, Minister Robiul Alam emphasized that discipline will be established through a coordinated approach involving both owners and workers, rather than viewing them as adversaries. He categorically stated that no special interest groups will be protected, and public interest alongside public aspirations will remain the top priority. He further promised that an international-standard multi-modal communication network will soon become visible across the country.

The minister detailed that direct train operations will launch on two major routes this August. The primary focus will see the initiation of the direct Dhaka-Pabna train line, which will be followed by the introduction of a new direct Dhaka-Khulna route.

Regarding the long-standing demand for the relocation of the Kazirhat Ferry Ghat, the minister revealed that preliminary execution phases have already commenced. The feasibility study has been finalized, and the Development Project Proposal (DPP) has been drafted. Recognizing its massive public utility for the residents of Pabna, he assured that the current government remains strictly committed to implementing the relocation project in the shortest possible time.

The high-level briefing was attended by Pabna-5 (Sadar) MP Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Pabna-2 MP Selim Reza Habib, Pabna-4 MP Abu Taleb Mondal, Reserved Women’s Seat MP Advocate Arifa Sultana Ruma, Pabna District Commissioner Aminul Islam, and Police Super Sufi Ullah, alongside local administrative and political leaders.