Rail line project stalled at Cox's Bazar

At present, the fate of the project is uncertain although this was one of the election promises of the ruling four-party alliance leaders.

Because of this, Bangladesh was not included in the Second Trams Asian Railway Route funded by Germany. Former Awami League Government had conducted a feasibility study to set up rail line from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar and Cox's Bazar to Ghumdhens of Ukhyia. Following empowerment of the 4-party Alliance Government, its leaders became eager to construct a friendship road from Myanmar to China (Bangladesh-Myanmar Friendship Road).

The government took an initiative to build a 120-kilometre road to Myanmar at a cost of several crores of taka from own resources. But it is unfortunate that the government failed to manage fund to construct the rail line.

It has been learnt that the provincial government of the then East Pakistan had asked the erstwhile East Bengal Railway (EBR) authorities to extend the railway line from Dohazari of Chittagong to the resort town of Cox's Bazar in 1953.

A resolution was adopted at an important meeting of the East Bengal Railway advisory committee on February 17, 1953 for conducting a feasibility study of the project. The study had estimated that about 2 crore 22 lakh taka would be required for the purpose while its probable earning would be 4 per cent. A proposal was also taken to extend the line from Ramu to Ukhyia via Baipai.

During the British period, surveys were conducted on several occasions to establish rail communication from Chittagong to Myanmar to carry passengers and goods. Following detection of some flaws at the survey of 1957, another survey was conducted anew spending Tk 2.25 crore on September 25, 1957.

However, the project work did not progress due to lack of required official initiative and fund.

Later, a Tk 200-crore project proposal was taken. But the project went to obscurity during the period from 1957 to '71. After independence, the then government of Bangabandhu promised realisation of the project. But after the '75 political upheaval it was stalled again.

In 1989, the communication ministry asked the Cox's Bazar sub-divisional administration to submit a report on the resources and population in the project area. Accordingly, the then administration had submitted a report. In the report, the population of Cox's Bazar district comprising seven upazilas of Cox's Bazar Sadar, Ukhyia, Teknaf, Maheskhali, Kutubdia, Ramu and Chakoria upazilas was shown as 16 lakh while that of Bandarban Hill district was shown as 1.50 lakh, four upazilas of Chittagong district was shown as 10.5 lakh. The total population was 27 lakh which now increased to 37 lakh.

The then government formed a 11-member high powered committee to develop tourism industry as well as to set up the railway line. But the committee did not come into effect.

During the tenure of Awami League Government, Bangladesh Railway invited an international tender. Canarail, a Canadian orga-nisation, got the work. Bangladesh Railway signed a contract with the organisation to set up the line at an expenditure of Tk 2 crore 95 lakh 24 thousand. Canarail started their feasibility study on March 9, 2001. In its report, Canaral said, on average, about 24 lakh 25 thousand passengers including 10 lakh local and foreign tourists and 8 lakh 70 thousand metric tons of salt, timber, fish, paddy, rice, cement and other commodities can be carried through the route annually.

An additional 30 lakh 70 thousand metric tons of goods would be ready for transport following industrial growth in the area. The entire amount of the expenditure cost will be recovered within 10 years, the report said. An amount of 19 crore three lakh US dollars (about 1,500 crore taka in Bangladesh currency) will be spent approximately to set up the rail line which included Tk 12 crore 94 lakh in foreign exchange. An additional 4 crore 24 lakh US dollars will be required if the line is extended further upto Ghumdhun, the report said further.