Initiative to Build Jaflong Railway Line, Feasibility Surveyed by Ariful Haque.

Naim Ahmed, Jointaupur-Gowainghat (Sylhet) Initial preparations and a feasibility study have been undertaken to build a railway line from Sylhet to Jaflong To this end, Minister of Labor and Employment and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, along with the Secretary of the Ministry of Railways and other senior officials, arrived in Sylhet. This afternoon, Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury came to Jaflong by bus, accompanied by Md. Fahimul Islam, Secretary of the Ministry of Railways, Md. Abdur Rahman Tarafdar, Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Employment and Md. Afzal Hossain, Director General of Bangladesh Railway. During the visit, they conducted an on-site inspection of various aspects of the proposed railway route from Sylhet to Jaflong. At the same time, the concerned officials assessed the proposed railway construction site, connectivity, and the initial feasibility of project implementation. Other members of the inspection team included Dr. Ziaul Haque, Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division Kabir Ahmed, Head of the Physical Infrastructure Division,,Syed Moinul Hasan, Chief Engineer of the Roads and Highways Department Md. Belal Hossain, Chief Engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department along with senior officials from the relevant ministries, Bangladesh Railway, and the local administration. After the inspection, Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said that if the Sylhet-Jaflong railway line is launched, travel for domestic and foreign tourists to Jaflong will become easier, safer, and more comfortable. He added that with the introduction of rail connectivity, ordinary people will also receive various benefits. He further said that with the railway in operation, not only will Jaflong's tourism industry develop, but goods can also be transported comparatively at lower cost and faster through freight wagons. As a result, he expressed optimism that economic activities in Gowainghat and across the entire Sylhet region will become more dynamic.