Cox's Bazar railway station

Cox's Bazar Railway Station is a railway station in Bangladesh, situated near the bus terminal of the city of Cox's Bazar. The railway station was officially inaugurated on 11 November 2023 and is considered the first iconic railway station in the country.

History
The Bangladesh Government planned to extend the rail track from Dohazari of Chittagong to Gundum of Bandarban. The trans-Asian railway network was to be connected to the proposed Ghumdhum railway station. The government also planned to build another railway track from the proposed Ramu railway station to Cox's Bazar to make another railway station in Cox's Bazar, in order to boost tourism in the city. The new railway line extended to Ghumdhum and proposed railway station in Cox's Bazar is being built simultaneously. Construction started in August 2017. The architect of the station, Mohammad Foyez Ullah, took inspiration from the shape of an oyster for its exterior, which symbolizes the beach. The foundation stone of the station building was laid on 14 January 2021. Its construction cost is Tk 214 crore. In January 2022, the construction of the railway station was 45% complete. Another 40% of the construction work was completed in March 2023.

Layout
The station terminal has five floors with the top floor reserved for future use. The ground floor houses various government services, ticket counters, various shops, and other services. The first floor is the departure lounge. There are lifts, stairs, washrooms, baby care services, escalators, waiting lounges, lockers, tourist information desks, display centers for selling products, and prayer rooms. A footbridge for departure will also be attached to this floor. The second floor is mainly reserved for restaurants and shops. The third floor will be a hotel with recreational space for passengers. The hotel will have 39 rooms. The fourth floor is intended to be leased for offices and conferences.