A long cherished dream of the railways ministry to introduce ‘bullet train’ with a capacity to run between Dhaka and Chattogram in just one hour has been shattered when none of the international development partners showed minimum interest in funding the project. Media reports said the authorities have now abandoned the project although a feasibility study and design had been done spending more than Tk 113 crore. The relevant ministry is now considering the need to complete the existing projects, including converting the single lines to double lines, instead of this bullet train mega project. However, Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan, said that bullet train project had not been canceled directly but before that they need to finish some short and medium projects. If the minister tells the truth, then it’s a big question why the ministry had taken such an expensive project with a cost of Tk 1,50,000 crore without taking their capability and limitation under consideration. We can cite here the statement of Shamshul Haque, BUET professor and public transportation expert, who termed this mega project a “backdoor initiative”, saying that it was a push-pull project that came thru backdoor.
It’s a bright example how our mega projects and big purchases come. We wonder how Bangladesh could implement the second step of the electrification (bullet train) when the country has not yet entered the first phase. The metro rail is still in preliminary stage. So, it is almost clear why over Tk 113 crore has been spent in the name of feasibility study. No doubt, it will need minimum 10/12 trips daily to cover cost of the project. But it is not possible to arrange so many passengers daily who will be able to buy the costly tickets. The project is not feasible financially too. If we accept the minister’s version, even so it is sure that it will need fresh feasibly study if this project is taken in the future again. It’s nothing but wastage of public money. We know many government projects are taken only to make happy the vested quarters whereas several projects with public importance were not taken as it was not profitable for them. In many areas, projects are taken considering personal, financial and political interest. So, roads are seen built near the leader’s house and bridges are built on the paddy field. Most of the ongoing mega projects have taken time-extension for failing to complete timely. The budgets of these projects have also been increased in several folds.
Wastage of public money in implementing mega projects has become a regular phenomenon nowadays. As it doesn’t need any accountability, so everyone in the government feels free to spend public money in the name of lavish absurd projects. Projects are taken with no sense of priority.
We are losing international confidence in the government as well as our national image as free dignified people is also fading. We simply have no leadership. Corrupt businessmen as politicians can only do the looting. They have no competence or political will to serve the country. We see a catastrophe is about to engulf us but our educated opportunists still think they would not be affected.
It’s a bright example how our mega projects and big purchases come. We wonder how Bangladesh could implement the second step of the electrification (bullet train) when the country has not yet entered the first phase. The metro rail is still in preliminary stage. So, it is almost clear why over Tk 113 crore has been spent in the name of feasibility study. No doubt, it will need minimum 10/12 trips daily to cover cost of the project. But it is not possible to arrange so many passengers daily who will be able to buy the costly tickets. The project is not feasible financially too. If we accept the minister’s version, even so it is sure that it will need fresh feasibly study if this project is taken in the future again. It’s nothing but wastage of public money. We know many government projects are taken only to make happy the vested quarters whereas several projects with public importance were not taken as it was not profitable for them. In many areas, projects are taken considering personal, financial and political interest. So, roads are seen built near the leader’s house and bridges are built on the paddy field. Most of the ongoing mega projects have taken time-extension for failing to complete timely. The budgets of these projects have also been increased in several folds.
Wastage of public money in implementing mega projects has become a regular phenomenon nowadays. As it doesn’t need any accountability, so everyone in the government feels free to spend public money in the name of lavish absurd projects. Projects are taken with no sense of priority.
We are losing international confidence in the government as well as our national image as free dignified people is also fading. We simply have no leadership. Corrupt businessmen as politicians can only do the looting. They have no competence or political will to serve the country. We see a catastrophe is about to engulf us but our educated opportunists still think they would not be affected.
