Direct Dhaka-Pabna Train to Launch in August

A direct Dhaka-Pabna train service will launch by August as part of a broader effort to introduce an international-standard multi-modal transport system, Road, Railway, and Shipping Minister Rabiul Alam announced on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters after a stakeholder meeting at the Pabna Circuit House auditorium, the minister emphasized that restoring order to the transport sector requires cooperation, not confrontation.

"Order will be brought to the transport sector through coordinated initiatives with owners and workers," Alam said. "No special interest groups will be favored here; public interest and aspirations will remain our sole priority."

Regarding the new rail link, the minister confirmed that the locomotive for the Dhaka-Pabna route is already prepared. Direct train services will begin on a priority basis as soon as the necessary passenger coaches arrive next month.

In addition to railway developments, Alam noted that feasibility studies and project planning (DPP) have officially begun for the Aricha-Khaschar road project, which aims to further ease connectivity between the region and the capital.

The briefing was attended by senior officials and local representatives, including Pabna MPs Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Selim Reza Habib, and Abu Taleb Mandal, along with Deputy Commissioner Aminul Islam, Police Superintendent Sufi Ullah, and other district administration and political leaders.