Railways State Minister Habibur Rashid said another pair of intercity trains will begin operating on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route in August. He made the announcement while visiting the Cox’s Bazar Iconic Railway Station at 10am on Saturday. He also said the station’s operational responsibility would be assigned to a private company to support its full-scale launch.

Rashid said passenger and tourist numbers in Cox’s Bazar, described as a tourism city, are increasing continuously. The government is therefore pursuing expanded rail connectivity and more modern passenger services in line with demand. He said the new trains would reduce long-standing passenger difficulties, ease ticket pressure and make travel between Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar easier, more comfortable and more timely.

The minister said there is a plan to develop the Cox’s Bazar Iconic Railway Station as an international-standard, tourism-friendly rail hub rather than merely a railway station. During the visit, he reviewed passenger services, infrastructure, cleanliness, security arrangements and ongoing activities. He instructed relevant officials to ensure the station becomes fully operational quickly and provides international-standard services. MP Lutfur Rahman Kajol, senior railway officials and station কর্মকর্তারা were present.