No New Railway Land Leases, Existing Leases to Be Reviewed: Minister

The government will not lease any new railway land and will review existing leases, Railways Minister Habibur Rashid said Saturday.

Speaking to journalists at Chittagong Railway Station, the minister said the government has already decided to stop issuing new leases for railway-owned land.

“Existing leases will be reviewed. Where there are no legal obstacles, the leases will be cancelled and the land will be redeveloped,” he said.

The minister said railway land could also be used for solar power projects as part of plans to make better use of the railway's property.

Asked about allegations of illegal structures on railway land in Chittagong and claims that some railway officials had rented out such structures, Rashid said complaints would be investigated and appropriate action taken if wrongdoing was established.

He also addressed allegations of irregularities in railway tender processes, saying there was no scope for political influence under the current system. However, he said any specific allegation would be investigated.

Rashid said the government was working to improve passenger services on the Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Cox's Bazar routes.

A feasibility study is underway for a proposed new chord line from Narayanganj to Cumilla. If implemented, the project could shorten the Dhaka-Chittagong rail route by about 80 kilometers and reduce travel time by approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, he said.

The government is also planning to increase the number of trains operating on the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar route, according to the minister.

Senior officials of Bangladesh Railway's Eastern Zone were present during the meeting.