Sylhet-Chhatak Rail Line Rehabilitation Faces Uncertainty as Tk 230cr Project Nears Deadline

Faysal Ameen

The Tk 230 crore Sylhet-Chhatak rail line rehabilitation project is nearing its deadline, but only 20 percent of the work has been completed. The 18-month project is scheduled to end on August 23, raising uncertainty over the resumption of train services on the route.
The contractor, Mir Akhter Hossain Limited, has applied for a 10-month extension, citing the rainy season and slow progress. However, project sources said the contractor’s financial crisis was mainly responsible for the delay, while various excuses were being used to cover up the problem.
Work on the three railway stations—Khajanchigaon, Chhatak and Afzalabad—has progressed by only 20 percent. Of the 10 culverts, four have been completed, the fifth is nearing completion and work on the remaining five is still incomplete. Of the 33-kilometre route, earthwork on 13 kilometres has been completed, while work on another 10.5 kilometres is ongoing. Work on the remaining 9.5 kilometres has yet to begin.
The project was approved in January 2025 to repair the metre-gauge track damaged by the 2022 floods. The disaster severely damaged 12 kilometres of the 33-kilometre railway, halting train services for years.
State Minister for Road Transport and Railways Habib ur Rashid Habib visited Sylhet on May 9 and urged the contractor to complete the work quickly. Despite the directive, progress remained limited.
The contractor says railway tracks and related equipment worth Tk 110 crore will soon be procured from China and the remaining work can be completed within three months. Project Manager Abul Kalam Azad said the company had applied for a 10-month extension and would complete the project within the extended period.
Project consultant team leader Md Anar Mahmud, however, said the contractor’s financial crisis had slowed implementation. He said the contractor had repeatedly been urged to expedite the work, but expressed concern that the project could eventually be cancelled.
Local residents are suffering due to the suspension of train services. They now have to pay Tk 80–120 for road transport instead of the previous Tk 12 train fare, while travel takes more than twice as long. Residents of Chhatak, Gobindaganj and Khajanchigaon have demanded that the railway work be completed quickly and train services restored.