The Bhanga-Barisal-Kuakata railway project, a dream of the people of the southern region, has been stalled due to financial crisis. Although the feasibility study and design of this 215-kilometer-long mega project have been finalized, no major investor has been found.

 On the other hand, the locals are living in extreme misery due to the red numbers given by railway officials to houses that were on the land acquisition list 8 years ago. Despite all kinds of renovations and bans on land sales, compensation money has not been received yet. As a result, the grand plan to connect Payra Port with the capital has stalled.

 According to the Railway Ministry, the railway will cross the Kirtankhola River, touching Gournadi, Ujirpur, Barisal Airport in Barisal district, Kashipur in Barisal Sadar upazila, and Sagardi and Tiakhali areas of the city, and will then pass through Dapadpiya, moving towards Bakerganj and Patuakhali and ending in Kuakata. Under this route map, thousands of residents of an area of ​​about 10 to 12 kilometers, including Tiakhali and South Sagardi in Barisal city, are now living a kind of blockade.

Sultan Khan, an elderly man from Tiakhali area of ​​the city, is facing a dilemma in his later years due to his name being placed on the land of the railway line. He said, "Eight years ago, railway people wrote numbers on the wall of his one-story building in red paint. They said that no new construction can be made here, nor can the house be repaired or sold."

He also said, "I want to live in Dhaka with my children in my old age. So, even if I want to sell my five percent land including my house, I can't do it."

Rabeya Begum, a housewife from Tiakhali who is facing the same crisis, said, "During the monsoon, water leaks through the roof of the house. Due to the railway ban, I am unable to do any permanent or sustainable renovations."

Former bank employee Md. Amjad Hossain, a resident of South Sagardi, said he wanted to sell 15 percent to 3 percent of his ancestral land to cover his daughter's wedding expenses. But whenever the buyers came and saw the red numbers on the houses, they immediately turned away. So he was forced to borrow money to get his daughter married.

The initial budget for this mega project, which is planned to cover 5,600 acres of land from Bhanga in Faridpur to Kuakata, with 19 stations and 1 junction, was estimated at Tk 41,200 crore. However, economists believe that the cost will increase manifold as the work has been delayed for years.

Economist Professor Md. Akhtaruzzaman Khan, Principal of Government Barisal Hatem Ali College, said, "If any mega project is prolonged, its initial estimated cost is no longer accurate. Due to inflation, rising prices of construction materials and increasing land acquisition costs, it is difficult to say where this Tk 41,000 crore project will end up.

Leaders of local civic organizations have expressed anger over the slow pace of the project and the suffering of locals.

Dr. Mizanur Rahman, General Secretary of the Barisal Division Development and Interest Protection Committee, said, "Connecting Payra Port and Kuakata to the rail network is a lifeline for the economy of the southern region. But the sad thing is, 'People are being given the excuse of financial crisis by giving them messages of hope. Local people are not able to use their own land, this is extremely unfair. We are demanding that compensation for land acquisition be provided quickly by raising funds, or else the red number should be lifted and people should be given the opportunity to lead a normal life."

Responsible sources in the railway have confirmed that the construction of this railway line was supposed to start in 2022 and be completed in 2029. However, the future of this huge 215-kilometer project now depends entirely on a major financial assistance or loan. Work cannot start due to lack of development partners.

In this regard, Bangladesh Railway Additional Director General (Infrastructure) Al Fattah Md. Masudur Rahman said on the phone that the feasibility study and detailed design of the project have already been completed. However, this is a mega project with a huge budget. Currently, the project is stuck due to financial crisis.