Dhaka, July 18, (V7N) – Bangladesh Railways has asserted that the operation of four pairs of special trains scheduled for July 19, in connection with the Jamaat-e-Islami rally, will not disrupt normal train services.

The clarification came through a circular signed by Rezaul Karim Siddiqui, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Railways, on Friday.

In the statement, Bangladesh Railways said special train services were approved in response to an official application by the party organizing the rally. The department also strongly criticized what it described as misleading propaganda on social media, claiming that the permissions were politically motivated or that regular services would be affected.

"There is no disruption to normal train operations due to these special services," the circular read. “There is precedent for granting such permissions for political or public events, and this is a routine matter subject to payment of fixed fares.”

Railways also clarified that such special trains actually help manage crowd control and prevent ticketless travel, which becomes a significant issue when political rallies attract mass turnout without sufficient time for attendees to purchase regular tickets.

To further support their claim, the ministry noted that the special trains will use rakes that are typically idle on Saturdays due to their weekly off-day. Additionally, passenger demand on weekends is generally lower, so there will be no negative impact on regular train operations.

According to the circular, the party concerned has already paid approximately Tk 32 lakh in advance for these special train services. “This has not only ensured lawful travel but also increased railway revenue,” the ministry noted.

Concluding the statement, Bangladesh Railways reiterated: “This is a commercial decision, not a political one. Similar decisions have been made in the past and will be taken in the future as per existing rules.”

END/RH/AJ