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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2026
Cox's Bazar's iconic station: Built for the future, deteriorating in the present
Transport（https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/transport）
Jobaer Chowdhury（https://www.tbsnews.net/author/jobaer-chowdhury）
24 October, 2026, 12:00 pm
Last modified: 24 October, 2026, 12:38 pm
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Cox's Bazar's iconic station: Built for the future, deteriorating in the present
Passengers deprived of promised amenities as the station awaits full operation
Jobaer Chowdhury（https://www.tbsnews.net/author/jobaer-chowdhury）
24 October, 2026, 12:00 pm
Last modified: 24 October, 2026, 12:38 pm
The six-storey railway station in Cox’s Bazar. Photo: TBS
Highlights:
Tk214 crore iconic Cox's Bazar station remains partially operational.
Promised facilities, including waiting rooms, hotel and restaurants, remain unavailable.
Poor maintenance has caused rust, moss growth and equipment damage.
Staffing shortages leave the station operating at roughly one-third capacity.
Only four train pairs serve the route daily, against 31 planned.
Bangladesh Railway relaxed tender conditions, extending the contract to 20 years.
Cox's Bazar's iconic railway station has yet to become fully operational nearly three years after its inauguration, leaving passengers without many of the promised facilities while poor maintenance has already started damaging parts of the complex.
According to railway data, around Tk11,500 crore was spent on the 101-kilometre Dohazari-Cox's Bazar railway line, including 38 bridges and nine stations. The project was inaugurated in November 2023, and train services began the following month, connecting the tourist destination to the railway network for the first time.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel（https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMIivlQsw2ZKrAw?ceid=US:en&oc=3）
The project included a six-storey, conch-shell-shaped iconic station built on 29 acres at Chander Para in Jhilongja union, near Cox's Bazar sea beach. Covering 1,87,000 square feet, the station was constructed at a cost of Tk214 crore.
Over the past couple of years, inadequate maintenance has allowed dust to accumulate on the station's steel structure and fittings, while parts of the structure have begun to rust.
Bangladesh Railway had planned to hand over the station's operation to a private operator because it lacked approval to recruit the required workforce. Its first tender failed to attract any bids, prompting the railway authorities to issue a second tender with relaxed conditions.
Passengers deprived of services, infrastructure deteriorating
The station was designed to offer modern facilities, including a star-rated hotel, shopping mall, restaurants, childcare centre, and luggage lockers. The air-conditioned complex can accommodate 46,000 people daily and also includes a post office, convention centre, information centre, ATM booths, and prayer facilities.
Cox’s Bazar iconic railway station. Photo: TBS
The ground floor houses ticket counters, reception, lockers, an information centre, a mosque, a children's recreation area, a passenger lounge, and access to footbridges. The second floor was designed for waiting rooms, shopping facilities, restaurants, and a childcare centre. A 39-room hotel was planned for the third floor, while the fourth floor includes space for restaurants, a conference hall, and a childcare centre. The fifth and sixth floors have office spaces and a multipurpose hall, respectively.
Despite these facilities, even basic services such as waiting rooms and rest areas for passengers remain unavailable. Chairs on the ground floor are currently the only designated seating arrangement.
The lack of regular operation and maintenance has damaged toilets, fittings and other equipment. The escalators have also developed problems, while parts of the steel structure are showing signs of rust and moss growth.
A railway employee told The Business Standard that most basic passenger services remain unavailable.
The station's decorative structures are also deteriorating, with rust and moss appearing on the pipes forming its signature conch-shell design, he said.
The station currently operates with four stationmasters, four booking assistants, five ticket collectors, three porters, 12 pointsmen, and six gatekeepers. Eight Railway Police personnel and 12 members of the Railway Security Force are deployed for security.
Cox’s Bazar iconic railway station. Photo: TBS
However, the workforce is only about one-third of what the large complex requires, according to railway data.