Bangladesh has been making steady headway in terms of transforming its infrastructure, with a number of ambitious projects already underway.
While this is a welcome development, perhaps the authorities' immediate attention is required towards the existing, and overlooked, infrastructure systems in place -- namely our old railway system.
That our first railway station -- at Jagati under Kushtia Sadar Upazila, which laid the foundations for faster communication between Kolkata and Dhaka -- remains decrepit and nearly abandoned, is sign enough that major changes need to be made.
Since its establishment, what once was the heart of communication, trade, and transportation of goods between the two major cities has unfortunately lost its essence due to the sheer negligence of those involved, resulting in a loss of opportunities for our nation.
A look at the current scenario only points towards one solution: While we attempt to make significant developmental progress with new projects, we must also prioritize the modernization of our existing railways, in order to make better use of the ample resources we have at hand.
Remodeling the Jagati railway station, along with all the others that are in need of a drastic makeover, can pave the way for better communication and trade opportunities that we may have been missing out on -- which is, ultimately, what we aim for as a developing country.
The authorities would do well to take these matters into serious consideration, and allocate the required time and resources to do the needful. If we can successfully rebuild the historic establishments to fit their true purpose, we will surely be taking a step closer to our goals of building a complete, modern, and prosperous nation.
