Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that the government has begun work to improve road and rail communication on the Dhaka–Sylhet route.

He made the remarks on Saturday (May 2) at a public meeting held on the premises of the Sylhet City Corporation’s Nagar Bhaban.

The Prime Minister said, “The condition of the Dhaka–Sylhet road is so poor that it takes nearly 10 hours to travel. Due to damaged and broken sections at various points, passengers suffer greatly. During my election campaign, I said that if we come to power, we will take steps to construct and improve the Dhaka–Sylhet road.”

Tarique Rahman added, “After forming the government, I spoke with the ministry responsible for roads and learned that during the initial phase of work, there were issues with land acquisition for 11 site offices of different companies. There are also various administrative complications.”

However, he said the concerned ministry has taken initiatives. “We hope to start the work as soon as possible and complete it within two to three years. As a result, people will no longer have to suffer so much while traveling between Dhaka and Sylhet by road.”

The meeting was held on the occasion of the inauguration of a project for beautification and flood-control infrastructure development on both banks of the Surma River in Sylhet City Corporation area. The programme began at 11:30 am at Chandni Ghat. It started with recitation from the Holy Quran and other religious texts.

Highlighting the importance of rail over road transport, the Prime Minister said, “The more we expand roads, the more vehicles increase, and traffic worsens. Road expansion also destroys agricultural land. We will definitely improve road communication, but we want to give more priority to rail.”

He announced that a dual-gauge double line will be introduced on the Sylhet–Dhaka railway route. “Plans have been taken to develop rail communication on the Sylhet–Dhaka route. Work will begin soon. With a double line, travel will become cheaper, and business people will also be able to transport goods at lower cost.”

On the issue of waterlogging in Sylhet, Tarique Rahman said it is not limited to Sylhet alone but is a common problem across the country. He urged people to be more aware in order to reduce waterlogging. He also called on the city corporation to take initiatives so that people receive better services, and stressed the importance of public awareness to prevent dumping of plastic, polythene, paper, and other waste materials indiscriminately.

Sylhet City Corporation Administrator Abdul Kayyum Chowdhury presided over the meeting. Commerce Minister Khondaker Abdul Muktadir, Labour and Expatriates Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury, Prime Minister’s adviser Humayun Kabir, Parliament Whip G K Gaus, and City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Reza Rafin Sarkar also spoke at the event.

Guests present on the dais included Prime Minister’s wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman, MP Tahsina Rushdir Luna, reserved seat MP Shammi Akhtar, and BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Enamul Haque Chowdhury.

Earlier at 11 am, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Surma River beautification and flood-control infrastructure project at Chandni Ghat. He was accompanied by his wife Zubaida Rahman.

On his arrival in Sylhet, the Prime Minister first visited the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA). Later, he traveled from there to Chandni Ghat by a red-and-green bus branded “Sabaar Age Bangladesh” (Bangladesh First).