People from all walks of life on Wednesday formed a human chain by blocking rail tracks at the Chapainawabganj railway station to press home an eight-point demand, including operations of all Dhaka-bound intercity trains from the station.
They staged the demonstration under the banner of the civil society platform for good governance, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik, and blocked the tracks for over 40 minutes 鈥� from 10:00am to 10:40am.
Their key demands included the immediate implementation of several projects including construction of a double railway line up to Chapainawabganj via Rohanpur Land Port and Amnura Junction, the launch of a connecting train to Rohanpur, upgrading of the Chapainawabganj highway from the district headquarters to the Sona Masjid Land Port into a six-lane road; and the modernisation of the Chapainawabganj Railway station.
Station master Md Obaidullah said that due to the demonstration, the Mollika Commuter train was delayed for half an hour.
Addressing the human chain, SUJAN Chapainawabganj district unit general secretary Monowar Hossain Jewel said that four intercity trains 鈥� Dhumketu Express, Padma Express, Silk City Express, and Madhumati Express 鈥� currently operate between Rajshahi and Dhaka.
鈥楧espite having the necessary infrastructure, services of these trains have not been extended to Chapainawabganj due to the indifference of the railway authorities and a mentality of regional discrimination,鈥� he alleged, adding that the people of Chapainawabganj had long been deprived of proper rail connectivity.
鈥榃e will go for a tougher movement if our demands are not met,鈥� he added.
Among others, Chapainawabganj Chamber of Commerce and Industry senior vice-president Khairul Islam, former municipality councillor Shahnewaz Khan Sinha, Chapainawabganj Press Club general secretary Faisal Mahmud, and Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Chapainawabganj unit convener Abdur Rahim also spoke at the programme.
