RCC mayor for direct train from Rajshahi to Kolkata

Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton has urged Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan to introduce Rajshahi-Kolkata direct passenger train.

The mayor, who is also a presidium member of Awami League, held a meeting with the railway minister at the Railway Bhaban in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon.

Mayor Khairuzzaman Liton gave a Demi Official letter to the Railway Minister to start the Rajshahi-Kolkata train. In the meeting, the Railway Minister assured to take necessary measures in this regard.

The Mayor mentioned in the letter that the people of Rajshahi region are constantly travelling to India for business, higher education, sightseeing, and medical treatment. As there is no direct transport from Rajshahi to India, the people of this region are facing various problems. For this reason, there is a long-standing demand for direct passenger train movement with India among the people of this region.

The mayor also said if direct passenger trains start running between Rajshahi and Kolkata the people of the northern region will benefit the most in terms of receiving medical services.

From regular health checkups to cancer, neurology, heart surgery and other complicated treatments and procedures, many people travel from Rajshahi to hospitals in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Vellore, and Hyderabad. Kolkata is the first choice destination for medical tourism due to its proximity and common language and culture.

Mayor Khairuzzaman expects that a direct passenger train will boost development in business and other areas. This will increase the exchange of education, culture and knowledge between Bangladesh and India and the people of both countries will benefit greatly.

People of this area can easily travel from Rajshahi to Kolkata and India as rail travel is safe, comfortable and cost-effective. There will be an unprecedented expansion of industrialisation along with trade.

“I believe that it is the demand of the time to establish a direct passenger train connection with India, a neighbouring friendly country, to achieve the SDG goals by 2030 and to build a developed and prosperous Bangladesh by 2041, including advancing the progress of the development of Rajshahi and the northern region,” said the Mayor.