Sylhet Bureau :
The country’s only ropeway, which was built to transport stones from Bholaganj stone quarry in Sylhet to Chhatak of Sunamganj, has remained closed for six years and is now under threat.
As it was not reopened after the last closure in 2014, many equipment of the facility are being stolen. Additionally, the bunker of the ropeway is at risk and the poles are tilted due to illegal extraction of stones from this railway land.
Meanwhile, 359 acres of railway land allotted for the ropeway has also been grabbed by illegal stone extractors.
In this situation, the Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has written to the railway ministry, requesting it to hand over the ropeway to the Tourism Ministry for drawing tourists’ attraction.
The decision on whether it will be reopened will be made at the next Cabinet meeting
During a visit to the ropeway and railway land in February this year, Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan said the context in which it was installed was no longer there.
“But it is a part of our heritage. The decision on whether it will be reopened will be made at the next cabinet meeting.”
Abu Taher Md Shoeb, President of the SCCI, said there was no road connection with Bholaganj when the ropeway was installed.
“But now road communication is easy. This facility can now be used in the tourism sector without ruining it.”
He said travelling through the ropeway would be a very interesting and exciting trip for tourists. “A lot of tourists will flock here if we arrange the ropeway for them to see the beauty of the Meghalaya hills and the River Piain. So, we recently sent a letter to the railways minister, requesting him to hand over this facility to the tourism ministry.”A lot of tourists will flock here if we arrange the ropeway for them to see the beauty of the Meghalaya hills and the River Piain. So, we recently sent a letter to the Railways Minister, requesting him to hand over this facility to the Tourism Ministry
Railway sources said the Pakistan Eastern Railway started construction of the 19.20km long ropeway from Bholaganj to Chhatak in 1964 as an alternative to roadways and waterways to transport stones from Bholaganj stone quarry, located in Companiganj upazila of Sylhet.
The ropeway which is based on 119 poles became operational in the early 1970s. Stones weighing 600 kilogrammes were transported in each box with wires drawn on the poles.
As the ropeway was damaged during the war of liberation in 1971, it was closed for eight consecutive years. After renovation, it was opened from 1989-80 financial year, but from the following year, the facility was kept open only during the monsoon season.
From the financial year 1990-91, transportation of stones by the ropeway became irregular. After reopening in 2011, another pole broke down in 2014, leaving the ropeway closed ever since.
In a visit to the ropeway area in Bholaganj, this correspondent found that large holes have been created and almost all the poles have been tilted due to the unplanned extraction of stones near the bunker. Many equipment of the facility have also been stolen in the last few years.
Initially, the ropeway started its operation with 425 boxes, but now only about a hundred remain.
The country’s only ropeway, which was built to transport stones from Bholaganj stone quarry in Sylhet to Chhatak of Sunamganj, has remained closed for six years and is now under threat.
As it was not reopened after the last closure in 2014, many equipment of the facility are being stolen. Additionally, the bunker of the ropeway is at risk and the poles are tilted due to illegal extraction of stones from this railway land.
Meanwhile, 359 acres of railway land allotted for the ropeway has also been grabbed by illegal stone extractors.
In this situation, the Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has written to the railway ministry, requesting it to hand over the ropeway to the Tourism Ministry for drawing tourists’ attraction.
The decision on whether it will be reopened will be made at the next Cabinet meeting
During a visit to the ropeway and railway land in February this year, Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan said the context in which it was installed was no longer there.
“But it is a part of our heritage. The decision on whether it will be reopened will be made at the next cabinet meeting.”
Abu Taher Md Shoeb, President of the SCCI, said there was no road connection with Bholaganj when the ropeway was installed.
“But now road communication is easy. This facility can now be used in the tourism sector without ruining it.”
He said travelling through the ropeway would be a very interesting and exciting trip for tourists. “A lot of tourists will flock here if we arrange the ropeway for them to see the beauty of the Meghalaya hills and the River Piain. So, we recently sent a letter to the railways minister, requesting him to hand over this facility to the tourism ministry.”A lot of tourists will flock here if we arrange the ropeway for them to see the beauty of the Meghalaya hills and the River Piain. So, we recently sent a letter to the Railways Minister, requesting him to hand over this facility to the Tourism Ministry
Railway sources said the Pakistan Eastern Railway started construction of the 19.20km long ropeway from Bholaganj to Chhatak in 1964 as an alternative to roadways and waterways to transport stones from Bholaganj stone quarry, located in Companiganj upazila of Sylhet.
The ropeway which is based on 119 poles became operational in the early 1970s. Stones weighing 600 kilogrammes were transported in each box with wires drawn on the poles.
As the ropeway was damaged during the war of liberation in 1971, it was closed for eight consecutive years. After renovation, it was opened from 1989-80 financial year, but from the following year, the facility was kept open only during the monsoon season.
From the financial year 1990-91, transportation of stones by the ropeway became irregular. After reopening in 2011, another pole broke down in 2014, leaving the ropeway closed ever since.
In a visit to the ropeway area in Bholaganj, this correspondent found that large holes have been created and almost all the poles have been tilted due to the unplanned extraction of stones near the bunker. Many equipment of the facility have also been stolen in the last few years.
Initially, the ropeway started its operation with 425 boxes, but now only about a hundred remain.
