Dhaka Delhi rail meeting ends first day without decision
Collected Photo
The first day of the interministerial meeting on railway issues between Bangladesh and India ended without any decision. The three-day meeting began at the Rail Bhaban in Dhaka on Tuesday (September 8). The daylong meeting ended in the afternoon.
The meeting focused on several issues including cross border passenger train services, projects being implemented with Indian loans, freight trains and outstanding payments between the railways of the two countries. However, the two sides could not reach any decision at the meeting.
The Railway Ministry said the meeting, known as the Intra Government Railway Meeting (IGRM), is held regularly every year. This is the 38th meeting. The previous meeting was held at the Rail Bhaban in New Delhi. Representatives of the Indian Railway Board are attending the ongoing meeting along with officials from Bangladesh Railway, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Board of Revenue.
Regarding the first day of the meeting, Secretary of the Ministry of Railways Md. Fahimul Islam told Agamir Somoy, “Several issues have been discussed. A decision does not have to be reached on the first day. Two more days remain. The discussions will be organized tomorrow (Wednesday). The minutes will be signed on the final day.”
Agamir Somoy spoke with several officials who attended the meeting. They said discussions were held on restarting the Maitree Express, Mitali Express and Bandhan Express passenger trains from Bangladesh. At the same time, Bangladesh proposed to Indian Railways that luggage vans be attached to passenger trains to allow passengers to carry additional luggage.
The meeting also discussed a new Rajshahi Kolkata rail route. Dhaka also proposed changing the route of the Maitree Express. It proposed operating the train through the Padma Bridge instead of the Jamuna Bridge. This would reduce travel time to the destination by at least five hours.
The two sides also discussed gradually restoring currently inactive connections between Bangladesh and India through the rail interchange system. They also discussed making freight train operations easier and increasing the capacity of border stations. Other issues included cross border rail infrastructure, progress on ongoing joint projects, border rail links and technical cooperation.
Officials concerned said the interministerial meeting has become important given the current political situation between the two countries. They said this is the first visit to Dhaka by an Indian delegation at the ministry level after the BNP formed the government. Passenger train services between the two countries have also remained suspended for more than two years. The meeting has created an indication that a decision on resuming train services may come at the end of the meeting.
Earlier, citing security risks, the Railway authorities suspended all types of train services within the country on July 18, 2024. Train services between Bangladesh and India were also suspended at that time. Train services resumed across the country on August 12 that year. However, passenger train services between Bangladesh and India have not yet resumed.
Transport expert and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Professor Md. Hadiuzzaman said, “The timing of this meeting is different from previous occasions. Therefore, its importance is greater. Everyone is watching this meeting. If this meeting is successful, it will create an opportunity to revive stalled discussions in other sectors.”
