The country’s railway network is set to see a major development next month, as the newly constructed Khulna-Mongla track will be inaugurated on Wednesday (November 1).
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially inaugurate this railway line virtually, Ahmed Hossain Masum, chief engineer of the project, told media.
Before the official opening, a trial train will go from Khulna’s Phultala to Mongla this afternoon, he added.
Some final works will be completed soon, said the chief engineer.
Rafiqul Haque, assistant engineer of the project said, local people living on both sides of the rail line were informed on Sunday about the trial train movement today.
The project was approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on December 21, 2010. Work began in November, 2016.
Initially, the project was scheduled to be completed within May, 2020. Unfortunately, the project experienced both time and cost overruns.
The construction work of the approximately 90 km rail line was completed at a cost of Tk 4,260 crore.
The Khulna-Mongla rail line is poised to usher in new opportunities in trade and commerce for the country’s southwestern region, including the Mongla port, said project officials.
