STORY: Chinese-built railway in Bangladesh all set for inauguration next month
DATELINE: Sept. 10, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:04
LOCATION: Dhaka
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Padma Bridge rail line trial run, Munshiganj, Bangladesh and passengers on the train
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Bengali): NURUL ISLAM SUJAN, Bangladeshi Railways Minister
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Bengali): SAIFUZZAMAN SHIKHAR, Member of Parliament
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): SHI YUAN, Project Director of Padma Bridge Rail Link Project

STORYLINE:

A mega railway via the China-built Padma Bridge in Bangladesh is all set for inauguration next month, local media reported.

With the Chinese-made passenger coaches, the Bangladeshi government on Thursday launched the first train on a major part of the newly constructed rail line.

The 172-km railway, a project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is constructed by the China Railway Group Limited (CREC) and funded by the Export-Import Bank of China.

Ahead of the grand opening, Bangladesh Railway conducted a trial run from Dhaka's central Kamalapur Railway Station.

The special train carried Bangladeshi Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan, senior officials, lawmakers, and journalists, among others.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Bengali): NURUL ISLAM SUJAN, Bangladeshi Railways Minister
"Bangladesh and China have a good relationship economically. I believe that China will continue to cooperate with us in the future. It's hoped that our friendship will deepen more."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Bengali): SAIFUZZAMAN SHIKHAR, Member of Parliament
"So today at this historic moment, I am crossing the Padma Bridge by train, and it was a matter of our past dreams. It really came true today."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): SHI YUAN, Project Director of Padma Bridge Rail Link Project
"Today I am extremely happy because after five and a half years of hard work, we have realized the completion of the prior section for this project. We are doing the test run today and preparing for the inauguration which is going to happen next month. Today we have around 600 passengers on the train. It's going to take around two hours from Dhaka to Bhanga."

The 6.15-km Padma Bridge, the largest of its kind in Bangladesh, is located about 40 km southwest of Dhaka. 

The history of crossing the Padma River between dozens of districts in southern Bangladesh and Dhaka only by ferries or boats ended in June last year as the Padma bridge was opened to traffic.

The bridge and the railway, a vital part of the trans-Asian railway network, are expected to greatly promote regional connectivity and economic development of Bangladesh.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Dhaka.
(XHTV)