Dhaka's rail link with rest of the country halted

Dhaka's rail communications with the rest of the country were suspended from Tuesday midnight to June 30 in a bid to limit coronavirus infections.

But the rail services will continue in the districts where lockdown was not imposed.

The decision was taken at a meeting at Rail Bhaban in the capital today.

The Ministry of Railways senior information officer Shariful Alam told this Jago News. A gazette notification would be issued in this regard within today night, he said.

The decision came a day after the government on Monday put Manikganj, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Madaripur, Rajbari, and Gopalganj districts on lockdown from Tuesday aiming to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Alongside, buses to and from Dhaka were suspended, isolating the capital from the whole country.  

On the day, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan had told Jago News that among the districts under lockdown, Narayanganj, Gazipur, and Rajbari have rail communications. The trains won't lift or drop passengers in the districts but only cross these to enter Dhaka.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) announced to suspend vessel services in the seven districts.

MMA/SU