DHAKA, 17 January 2022, (TON): The Bangladesh rail authorities have dropped the Trans Asian Railway (TAR) from its priority as bilateral relations with Myanmar remain under strains and cooperation from the neighbouring country is close to zero.

According to Bangladesh Railways “the railway connectivity to carry goods between Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand and Malaysia through Myanmar has for now been put on hold.”

A Tk18,034 crore fast track railway project from Chittagong’s Dohazari to Cox’s Bazar via Ramu to Gundhum near Myanmar had been in the cards, according to the railway authorities.

The project, approved in 2010, was supposed to extend the existing rail line from Dohazari and connect to multiple routes.

The connection from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar was expected to extend to Ramu and then to Gundhum, paving the way for a railway network to China, Thailand and Malaysia.

Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan told median“Myanmar did not undertake any railway project to connect Bangladesh to Gundhum.”

He added “it will be meaningless to continue our part of the project if Myanmar continues to be regressive.”