The government is planning to expand railway connectivity in the Sylhet-Tamabil corridor alongside upgrading road infrastructure as part of a broader master plan to improve transport links and promote tourism in the region.
As part of the initiative, Labour and Employment and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury led a high-level government delegation on an inspection of Jaflong, Tamabil and adjoining areas on Saturday.
The team reviewed a proposal to extend the railway line from Sylhet to the Jaflong tourist destination and develop a modern tourism hub in Tamabil and its surrounding areas.
Speaking to reporters during the visit, the minister said the proposed railway project remains at the draft stage and will be finalised after detailed consultations.
“If roads can be built, railways can also be built. Nothing is impossible. However, the government has its own procedures for implementing such projects. I have brought the secretaries and senior officials of the relevant ministries for an on-site assessment,” he said.
The minister said improved rail and road connectivity would help address longstanding infrastructure gaps in the tourist destination, including inadequate roads, parking facilities, public washrooms, safe drinking water and security.
“You have identified the problems; it is our responsibility to implement the solutions,” he told journalists.
On reopening stone quarries in Sylhet, the minister said the government remains committed to resuming operations under the traditional extraction system. He noted that some related legal issues are still pending before the High Court, adding that the legal process to resolve them is underway and expressing hope that stone extraction would resume soon.
Referring to his use of public buses and trains, the minister said he was following the prime minister’s directive on energy conservation and contributing to the government’s fuel-saving efforts.
Later, the minister, accompanied by officials from the Road Transport and Highways Division and the district administration, inspected the ongoing work on the Sylhet-Tamabil Highway four-lane expansion project.
The delegation included Railway Secretary Md Fahimul Islam, Labour and Employment Secretary Md Abdur Rahman Torofdar, Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Mohammad Ziaul Ahsan, Bangladesh Railway Director General Md Afzal Hossain, Road Transport and Highways Department Chief Engineer Syed Moinul Haque, and other senior officials.
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