People demonstrate for intercity train service

PANCHAGARH, June 18: Railways Minister Mohammad Mazibul Hoque on Saturday introduced a pair of new intercity shuttle trains on the Parbatipur-Dinajpur-Panchagarh route to facilitate home goers' travel out of Dhaka on the occasion of holy Eid-ul-Fitr.
The minister inaugurated the programme by cutting a ribbon at a function at Panchagarh Railway Station.
Among others, Lawmakers of Panchagrh-1, 2 and Thakurgaon-3 constituency Nazmul Haque Prodhan, Nurul Islam Sujan, and Yasin Ali, respectively and Selina Jahan Lita, MP, addressed the function while Acting Secretary to the Railway Ministry Mofazzol Hossain presided over the programme.
Responding local leaders and people's demand, the minister Mujibul Haque said the intercity train service from Panchagarh to Dhaka will be started within a short time after getting new coaches from Indonesia.
The minister said the present government has taken huge development initiatives for upgrading entire train service by setting up separate rail ministry. Accordingly, the government did development works all over the county in rail sector.
Besides, the people of Thakurgaon and Panchagarh made demonstrations, brought out processions and held protest meetings at different railway stations in these districts demanding opening a direct intercity train service from Panchagarh-Dhaka route instead of connecting.
Under the banner of Thakurgaon Nagarik Odhikar Andolan, people from all walks of life observed the agitating programme demanding an intercity train from Panchagarh to Dhaka.
The people have been observing different programmes including handing over memorandum to the PM, bringing out procession and discussion at different places in these districts for the last several days.  The prime minister at a public meeting in the town on January 30 in 2013 announced that the intercity train service would start from the district after completion of the rail track, they said.
The PM also gave assurance in a video- conference on January 4, this year that the intercity service from Panchagarh to Dhaka would start soon.
Speakers at the meeting said the intercity train service has not started, although the work of setting up a dual-gauge rail track from Panchagarh to Parbatipur involving Tk 982 crore, was completed one year ago.
Under the project, 104-km rail tract was turned into dual-gauge from metre gauge, 15 railway stations and platform, level crossings and shed building were completed. 
They also demanded extension of the rail track up to Banglabandha Land Port to facilitate business in the region.  
Under the banner of Nagarik Odhikar Andolan, Thakurgaon local elites from different sectors submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Awal for handing over to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday in Thakurgaon.
In the memorandum, they requested the PM to take steps to start the long-awaited intercity train service.