Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has chartered three pairs of special trains to transport party leaders and activists to Dhaka for a mass rally scheduled for this Saturday.
The trains will operate on the Rajshahi-Dhaka-Rajshahi, Sirajganj-Dhaka-Sirajganj, and Dhaka-Mymensingh-Dhaka routes, each making one round trip.
A letter issued by Arfin Nahar, Deputy Chief Superintendent-1 of the West Zone Railway, has been sent to the Director General of Bangladesh Railway seeking approval and necessary arrangements for operating the trains.
According to the letter, based on a request from the Office Secretary of Jamaat’s Rajshahi metropolitan unit, a special train has been proposed to depart from Rajshahi Railway Station late on the night of July 18 and reach Dhaka early the next morning. The return journey is scheduled for the night of July 19. This special service will use the rake of train No. 755/756 Madhumati Express (load 14/28), which does not run on Saturdays—its scheduled weekly off day. Approval from the Chief Mechanical Engineer (West), Rajshahi, has also been noted.
The proposed schedule indicates that the Rajshahi-Dhaka train will depart at 1:00 AM on July 19 and arrive in Dhaka at 6:00 AM. The return journey from Dhaka will start at 8:00 PM on the same day and reach Rajshahi at 1:15 AM. The train will stop at Rajshahi University, Horian, and Sardah Road stations en route. The letter states that this service can be operated under standard rules upon payment of advance fare, service charges, and other dues.
Another letter details the plan for a special train on the Dhaka-Sirajganj-Dhaka route using train No. 775/776. It will depart from Sirajganjbazar at 6:00 AM and reach Dhaka by 9:30 AM. The return trip from Dhaka will begin at 11:55 PM and arrive in Sirajganjbazar at 3:30 AM.
Additionally, a letter signed by Md. Khairul Kabir, Deputy Director (TT) of Bangladesh Railway, confirms the official approval of a proposal to operate a pair of special trains on the Dhaka-Mymensingh-Dhaka route.
Meanwhile, Jamaat is making extensive preparations for the rally, with expectations of hundreds of thousands of participants gathering in Dhaka's Suhrawardy.
