Tk 137 Crore Chilahati-Haldibari Railway Line Left to Waste Away

The Chilahati-Haldibari railway link, built to improve rail connectivity and expand cross-border trade between Bangladesh and India, has remained closed for a long time. As a result, railway tracks, yards, an international terminal, customs and immigration buildings, and other infrastructure built at a cost of crores of taka remain unused. The lack of regular maintenance has raised concerns that these facilities may deteriorate.

Local businesses that invested in the railway link are also facing difficulties. However, there is still no clear timeline for the resumption of train services. Rail communication between India and what was then East Pakistan continued even after the partition of 1947. Until 1965, passenger and freight trains operated on this route, connecting Darjeeling in India with Khulna and Kolkata. Services were suspended during the India-Pakistan war that year.

After a gap of 55 years, the Chilahati-Haldibari railway link was reopened on December 17, 2020. Construction of a new railway line on the Bangladesh side began on September 21, 2019. A 9.36-kilometre line was built from Chilahati to the Indian border, including a 2.36-kilometre loop line.

According to relevant sources, around Tk 1.42 crore was spent on railway tracks and related infrastructure to expand cross-border trade and maintain rail connectivity from Chilahati Railway Station to the zero point. Another Tk 80 crore was spent on broad-gauge tracks and a railway yard, around Tk 45 crore on the international terminal, customs and immigration buildings, and approximately Tk 10 crore on an overbridge and connecting roads.

Chilahati Railway Station Master Ruhul Amin said train services had operated on the route but were suspended following the political change on August 5. He said there were plans to resume services through discussions between the governments of the two countries, but no specific date had been announced.

Local resident Rubaiya Hossain Don said the railway link had been reopened after a long wait, raising hopes for regional development and expanded trade between the two countries. However, the renewed suspension of train services has hindered those prospects.

Local businessman Abdul Mannan said resuming passenger and freight services would expand trade, create employment opportunities in Nilphamari and other parts of northern Bangladesh, and increase government revenue. He called for swift action to restore rail connectivity through discussions between the two governments.

The suspension of commercial operations on the route has also reduced revenue at Chilahati Railway Station. According to relevant sources, the station’s monthly revenue has fallen from around Tk 1 crore to Tk 45–50 lakh over two years. The decline has affected both government earnings and local economic activity.

Many young local entrepreneurs had taken bank loans to invest in transport services, residential hotels, restaurants and clearing and forwarding (C&F) businesses, expecting cross-border trade to expand. However, the suspension of commercial rail operations has forced many of them to shut down their businesses, leaving them struggling with loan repayments and an uncertain future.

Ahsanul Kabir Basunia, president of the Chilahati Regional Development Proposal Council, said the railway link had been restored in response to a long-standing demand from people in Nilphamari and other parts of northern Bangladesh. He said the suspension of train services was holding back regional development and trade. He called for the swift resumption of services in the interests of people in both countries.

Nilphamari Deputy Commissioner Humayun Kabir said local administration was responsible for maintaining railway infrastructure. However, he explained that reopening the port and railway link depended on government policy decisions and diplomatic efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, making the process time-consuming. He also said the two governments planned to resume passenger and freight services on the route.

Local residents believe restoring the Chilahati-Haldibari railway link would boost cross-border trade, create jobs and strengthen the regional economy. They hope the two countries will take effective steps to resume rail services before the unused infrastructure deteriorates further.