Jamaat rents four special trains for Dhaka rally, sparks debate over costs

Social media is abuzz over the costs of the trains, with some pointing fingers at the railway ministry

The Jamaat-e-Islami has chartered four special trains to transport supporters to its upcoming national rally in Dhaka, sparking debate over the neutrality of the state railway and potential breaches of protocol.

This has prompted debate on social media regarding the railway's neutrality and alleged breach of regulations.

The trains, arranged from Rajshahi, Sirajganj, Chattogram, and Mymensingh, are scheduled to run in connection with the party’s first-ever “national gathering”, set for Saturday.

The move has drawn criticism on social media, with some users questioning the legitimacy of the arrangement and alleging irregularities.

In response, the Ministry of Railways issued a statement insisting that no rules had been violated in the process.

“It has come to our attention that misleading information is being circulated on social media regarding the special trains,” the statement said.

“This service falls within the railway’s normal operational procedures. In the past, special trains have also been operated for programmes organised by various political parties upon formal request.”

While social media users speculated the cost of hiring the trains could be as high as Tk 5 million, the ministry clarified that Jamaat paid Tk 3.2 million in advance.

“This arrangement has increased revenue for Bangladesh Railway. It is a commercial decision and has no political motive,” the ministry added.

Farid Ahmed, general manager of the Western Railway Zone, confirmed to bdnews24.com on Friday afternoon that two train pairs had been allocated from the west.

“The permission was granted only after the full payment of fares, service charges and other dues,” he said.

When asked about the process of renting a special train, Farid explained: “Applicants must submit a request. We then check availability, whether there are any available trains on that day, or any scheduled closures. If the mechanical and operations departments approve, the trains are allocated.”

Regarding fare calculations, he said: “The finance division determines that, but it is generally based on the number of coaches and seats.”

According to railway officials, the special train from Rajshahi will run on the regular Modhumoti Express service’s weekly day off.

It will depart at 1am Friday and return from Dhaka’s Kamalapur station at 8:15pm Saturday, taking the Jamuna Bridge route and stopping at Rajshahi University, Horiyan, and Sardaha Road.

Another train will depart Sirajganj Bazar at 6am Saturday and return at 11:55pm the same day.

Jamaat leader Shafiqur Rahman and other central leaders are expected to address supporters at the national rally in Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan.