NEWS media reported that Bangladesh Railway, a losing state enterprise, has finally found a supplier to collect 70 metre gauge locomotives in its third attempt over the last eight years, though the price is hiked by Tk 709.64 crore than the initial estimate. The revised procurement proposal which now stands at Tk 2659.33 crore was approved by a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Affairs on Tuesday. Procurement of locomotives was considered under a project by the BR in 2011, which could not be completed despite the extension of the deadline thrice in absence of prospective international bidders with the suppliers’ credit.
We see in the bygone years trains have become popular in the country that was reflected during the Eid vacations and weekends. But the overcrowded railway is unreliable and losing concern. Definitely, corruption, lack of maintenance, nepotism, and absence of proper monitoring and accountability of the employees are the main reasons behind incurring loss years after years. With stinky, narrow, old and minimal facilities, the locomotives and the railway tracks are old enough to be replaced soon by modernized locomotives, monorail, and metro as it is the cheap, environment-friendly and less risky mode of communication in the world.
People who travel between capital Dhaka and adjacent towns are increasingly using trains as traffic congestions on city roads and highways have become unmanageable. Over one lakh people are using trains on Dhaka-Airport-Tongi-Gazipur route, while 1.4 lakh on Dhaka-Narayanganj route every day. The number of trains is still low in comparison to the growing number of passengers who often prefer trains to come and go from Dhaka.
With the growing urbanization, many satellite towns will be created, which will increase more demand for commuter trains. The government should introduce modern, clean and environment-friendly communication system putting the train in the centre of the planning. Before introducing electric trains or bullet train, the ghost inside the railway sector should be bottled.
