Staff Reporter :
To facilitate the movement of people for the program organized on the occasion of BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s return to the country, Bangladesh Railway is going to operate 10 special trains.
Upon BNP’s request, the Railway will provide these special trains next Thursday in exchange for the fare. In addition, extra coaches will be added to several regularly operating trains for the convenience of attendees.
The Ministry of Railways issued a press release announcing the operation of these special trains. Bangladesh Railway will receive around 3.6 million taka in fare for operating these trains.
Tarique Rahman is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka from London next Thursday. BNP is organizing a special event to make his return from the United Kingdom, after more than 17 years, a memorable one.
For this occasion, the party has arranged a reception along a 300-foot road in the capital.
The Railway stated that BNP’s central and regional offices applied for special trains/extra coaches to transport the party’s leaders, activists, and supporters to Dhaka for the return of Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.
In response, 10 special trains will operate on different routes for the transportation of party workers and supporters. Additionally, extra coaches will be attached to several regularly operating trains.
To ensure the operation of these special trains, the regular service of a few trains has been canceled for one day.
These trains are: Rajbari Commuter (Rajbari–Poradah), Dhalarchar Express (Pabna–Rajshahi), and Rohanpur Commuter (Rohanpur–Rajshahi).
The Ministry of Railways expressed regret for the temporary inconvenience to regular passengers on these routes.
Sources at the Railway said that BNP initially applied for 11 special trains. Due to an engine shortage, only 10 trains were allocated. In addition, 17 extra coaches will be attached to other trains.
Each train will bring BNP leaders and workers to Dhaka for the program and then return them to their respective destinations.
Guidelines have been issued for the use of special trains and extra coaches, requiring compliance with the Election Code of Conduct-2025.
Previously, Bangladesh Railway has operated special trains for various political parties in exchange for the prescribed fare.
During the previous Awami League government, the ruling party at the time hired trains to bring people to programs in Dhaka and other parts of the country.
After the fall of the Awami League government, Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP-affiliated organizations, including the Chhatra Dal, have hired trains for their programs by paying the designated fare.
At around 7:15 PM, Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan, Adviser to the Ministry of Railways, posted on Facebook about the operation of special trains for the BNP program.
He wrote that Bangladesh Railway is experiencing a severe shortage of locomotives (engines) and coaches.
Despite this, to facilitate public participation in the program for their leader arriving from London, Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s central and divisional leaders applied, and 10 of the requested 11 special reserved trains will be provided on January 24.
In addition, 17 extra coaches will be attached to eight other trains. BNP will pay the prescribed fare for this.
Fauzul Kabir Khan wrote, “As a result, train services on two secondary lines have been temporarily suspended. Passengers will be informed accordingly.
The operation of special trains may cause some inconvenience to regular passengers as well.
We hope the traveling public of Bangladesh Railway will tolerate this temporary inconvenience to facilitate the journey of democracy.”
