Bangladesh Railway traces its origins to 1862, when the first railway line in the Bengal region was completed — connecting Darshana (in present-day Chuadanga) with Jaganathpur (near Kushtia) in what was then British India. This inaugural 53-kilometre broad-gauge stretch inaugurated the railway era in what would become Bangladesh, then part of the Bengal Presidency of British India.
Throughout the latter half of the 19th century, the colonial railway network expanded rapidly as the British East India Company and later the Crown recognised rail as essential for military logistics, agricultural commerce (particularly jute and tea), and administrative control. By the early 20th century, the rail network had extended to Chittagong (the principal port), Sylhet (gateway to tea estates), Rajshahi, and the northern districts. A distinctive feature of Bangladesh's inherited railway was the dual gauge problem: eastern zones used metre gauge while western zones used broad gauge — a legacy of being developed by different colonial railway companies.
Partition (1947) dramatically altered the rail geography. The subcontinent was divided into India and Pakistan, and Bangladesh — as East Pakistan — lost natural rail connections with Calcutta (now Kolkata) and the broader Indian rail network. Cross-border rail links were severed, and the eastern network became a self-contained, isolated system requiring complete reorganisation.
Bangladesh's independence in 1971 brought further challenges. The Liberation War caused significant damage to railway infrastructure, including station buildings, bridges, and rolling stock. Post-independence, Bangladesh Railway undertook substantial rehabilitation with international assistance. The Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge (opened 1998) was a transformative moment — it connected the eastern and western rail zones by carrying a railway track alongside road traffic, finally creating a through rail link across the Jamuna River that eliminated the need for ferries.
The 21st century has seen Bangladesh Railway focus on modernisation. New intercity express services were launched, existing lines were upgraded, and the historic Cox's Bazar extension — completed in 2023 — added 100 kilometres of new track through hilly coastal terrain to connect Bangladesh's largest tourist destination with the national rail network for the first time. As of 2026, Bangladesh Railway operates over 2,800 route kilometres, runs 100+ intercity and express trains, and is supplemented by the Dhaka Metro Rail (MRT Line-6) urban rapid transit system opened in 2022.