Ctg rly bldg to be renovated

The century old Chittagong Railway Station building will be renovated without any alteration to the structure and the architectural design to bring back its original look.

The old station, built in 1896 during the then British rule, was abandoned in 1996 after the new complex of Railway Station put into services.

An agreement was signed between the Bangladesh Railway and the Grameen Phone (GP) in July last year to renovate the old station.

As per the agreement, the GP will renovate the station building without any alteration to the structure and the architectural design.

After bring back to its original shape through careful renovation, the station will house Chittagong office of the GP.

Syed Rezaul Hayat, Secretary of Communications Ministry inaugurated the renovation work of the old Railway Station building at a function here yesterday.

Chaired by Director General of Bangladesh Railways A K M Rezaul Karim, the function was addressed, among others, by Director (Operation) of Grameen Phone Ltd Josten Mori, executive vice president of Chittagong Planned Forum ABMA Baset and Director of Executive Coordination of Grameen Phone Yahea Mukarram.

According to the agreement, apart from financing the renovation work of the old Railway Station building, the Grameen Phone will pay an amount of Tk 1.76 crore to the Railway for using a portion of the building for 15 years.

The renovation work will be completed within six months.

Once the work is completed, the GP will shift its Agrabad office to the first floor of the Railway Station building while the ground floor and the rest will remain for the Railway.

The Communications Secretary said the country would be connected with the east and the west through the highway very soon. Railway communication with Myanmar would also be established soon, he hoped.

Hayat mentioned that the air link was established between Chittagong and Chiangmai.

He said the government is working to improve bilateral relations further with Myanmar, Thailand, China and Singapore for promotion of trade, commerce and tourism.

Referring to the recent Cabinet decision of making Chittagong as the commercial capital of the country, he said efforts would be taken to improve communications, banking services, hotels, port and tourism in the port city.

He said the government has planned to introduce electric trains and build four-lane railway track including broad-gauge line between Chittagong and Dhaka.