Staff Reporter : Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed a loan agreement for the construction of the Dual Gauge Double Line Between Joydebpur-Ishwardi project with the Government of Bangladesh.
Under the loan agreement, JICA will provide a Japanese ODA (Official Development Assistance) loan of up to 92,077 million Japanese Yen (equivalent to Tk 7,694 crore) for the construction. The signing ceremony took place on 27 June 2025, at the Economic Relations Division, Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, Agargaon, Dhaka.
Representing both parties, Ichiguchi Tomohide, Chief Representative of JICA Bangladesh Office, signed the loan agreement with Mr. Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary, Economic Relations Division.
This loan agreement was signed for the first tranche of the construction loan. Previously, another loan agreement was signed with JICA for the procurement of engineering services for the project in March 2023. Bangladesh Railway has completed the selection of engineering consultants for the project and the detailed design work for the project is expected to start very soon.
The 162 km long dual gauge double-line rail track is expected to enhance railway transportation capacity by double-tracking the existing rail between Joydebpur and Ishwardi. This project will play a crucial role in strengthening the rail connectivity of the country, and it will significantly contribute to leveraging the full potential of the Jamuna Railway Bridge, which has also been constructed under JICA’s ODA loan. This project is expected to enhance logistics capacity between the western part of the country and Dhaka thereby Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary, Economic Relations Division, thanked the people of Japan for their generous support to the people of Bangladesh.