The Asian Development Bank has approved the highest loan for a single project, i.e. a railway line extending 102 km from Dohazari in Chittagong to Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh for its part will have to upgrade the 47 km rail line from Chittagong city to Dohazari and construct a rail bridge on the Karnaphuli River. This project along with the already approved 129 km rail track from Dohazari to Gundam near the Myanmar border via Cox's Bazaar, estimated at USD 2.28 billion (of which ADB will provide USD 1.66 billion) will, if implemented on time, put Bangladesh squarely into the Trans-Asian Railway network. The project also envisions room for future growth which could extend railway connectivity.
Besides the obvious economic benefits, such extension of railway network to hook up with existing railway networks in Myanmar would go a very long way in boosting transnational tourism. Railway connectivity would help cut down on travel time and greenhouse emissions. The influx of foreign tourists from Myanmar and beyond would usher in much needed foreign exchange that would transform the tourism infrastructure in the southeast of the country. Domestic tourism would also see significant growth.
Given that the whole expansion is based on dual-gauge tracks, there would be standardisation with neighbouring countries that will open up possibilities for seamless transportation of passengers and freight. However, for any of this to happen we will have to go back to the drawing board in simplifying bureaucratic procedures to keep the projects on track. The main impediment to project implementation is no longer financial, it is administrative capacity.