Bangladesh Railway yet decide carrying passengers half capacity

Bangladesh Railway is yet to decide when it will start carrying passengers at half capacity -- to ensure health safety, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said today.

The minister said that, tickets for January 13 have already been sold in advance, so it will be not possible to start carrying passengers at half capacity from that day.

"We will hold meeting over the issue and let you know soon," he said after attending a programme at Dhaka's Rail Bhaban today.

At the programme, BR signed a contract with a private company to build shopping mall, hotel-rest house and other establishments on railway's land near the station in Chattogram city. The contract is based on Public Private Partnership model.

Ahsan Jaber, PPP focal point of BR, and Anwar Hossain, director of Epic Properties Ltd, signed the contract.

The Cabinet Division yesterday issued a notice with 11-point directive on public movement from January 13.

Under the directives, buses, launches and trains must operate at half capacity.

However, according to the directives, the authorities concerned are supposed to issue specific notices on the matter along with the date the restriction will take effect. The Daily Star