Ctg-Kaptai Rail Link: Project yet to start for lack of funds

Despite completing a feasibility study nearly five years ago, the Chattogram-Kaptai rail link project has remained stuck due to a lack of funds.

Officials of the Bangladesh Railways said the Economic Relations Division (ERD) is yet to find donors for this project.

"We are waiting to get funds from foreign donors. But we have yet to get any confirmation from the ERD," said M Salimullah Bahar, chief planning officer of the BR.

He said without foreign funds, implementation of this project can't be possible as it's a costly venture.

BR conducted a feasibility study in 2018 to bring Chattogram Hill Tracts under the rail network as the state agency's ongoing masterplan (2016-2045) proposed to establish this rail line by 2022.

According to the study, titled "Janalihat-CUET-Kaptai Dual gauge Rail Tracks", the BR planned to implement the 42.17km long rail track in two phases at an estimated cost of Tk 8,926 crore by 2026.

In the first phase, a 14.31km rail track, Janalihat to Raozan, will be constructed at an estimated cost of Tk 4,142 crore.

In the final phase, 27.86km of tracks will be constructed, from CUET to Kaptai, at an assessed cost of Tk 4,784 crore.

To implement this project, BR needs to acquire 862 acres of land and construct two bridges over Halda and Ichamati rivers.

"We submitted the report of the feasibility study in October 2018. Since then, BR couldn't contact us over the matter," said Anwar Hossain, chairman of the JPZ Consulting (Bangladesh) Limited, which conducted the feasibility study.

Meanwhile, BR had sent a letter to the ERD seeking sourcing of funds in 2021.

ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, chairman of the parliamentary body on railways ministry, is working for the project from the beginning. "We are knocking ERD continuously to find new donors for this project," he said.