Bagerhat Correspondent :
The construction work of the proposed Mongla-Khulna Railway line will begin in the month of February, 2015.
Some 85.86 kilommetre- long rail line will connect Mongla Sea Port with Fultala Rly Station (Khulna). 64.75 kilometre rail line out of total 85.86 kilometre rail lines will be the main line and 21.11 kilometre will be siding loops-yard lines.
In order to materialize the proposed rail line Government will spend a sum of Tk.519 cr 8 lakh from its own fund while the Indian Govt. will fund a sum of Tk one thousand 202 cr 31 lakh to the project. By this time some 7 Indian construction farms were pre-qualified for the construction of a railway bridge over the river Rupsa and the proposed rail line. 5 out of total 8 stations will be constructed in Bagerhat district and the rest 3 will be constructed in Khulna district.
Tender will be invited in the month of December, 2014 and the construction works of the project will be completed with the year 2019, it was ascertained by the Project Director (PD) Md. Mujibor Rahman.
The Project Director Md. Mujibor Rahman further disclosed to the newsmen, design of the project was already completed on top priority basis. According to the design, 5 out of 8 stations will be constructed at Mongla, Digraj, Bhaga, Chulkathi and Katakhali in Bagerhat district and the rest 3 stations will be constructed at Mohammadnagar, Arangghata and Fultala in Khulna district. A Railway bridge will be constructed over the river Rupsa at a point 1.5 kilometres away towards the south from Rupsa Khan Jahan Ali bridge. Some 677 acres of lands will be acquired for the construction of the rail line and the railway bridge.
Demand for linking Bagerhat with Rly Line
People of Bagerhat are strongly demanding to link Bagerhat district town with the proposed Mongla-Khulna rail line at Katakhali point. It may be mentioned here that Bgerhat district town was linked with Khulna Divisional town (Rupsa) by a railway service in the year 1910. But unfortunately this railway service was suspended in the year 1997 in the plea of loss defying the strong protest of the people of the district (Bagerhat).. It was the popular demand and expectation of the people of the district that the suspended train service would be resumed very soon. But it is the irony of fact that instead of restoring the train service between Bagerhat and Khulna it was finally closed and the railway truck was dismantled by the railway authorities in the year 2000.
