Project costs in Bangladesh higher than in India: Railways adviser

Highlights:

• Railways adviser cites past unplanned dev projects and high project costs as key challenges
• He urges stakeholders to reduce expenses
• Bangladesh Railways also faces a shortage of locomotives, coaches, and manpower

The cost of development projects in Bangladesh is significantly higher than in India and other neighbouring countries, Railways Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said today.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Dhaka-Khulna train service via Padma Bridge at the Kamalapur Railway Station, Fouzul urged stakeholders to find ways to reduce expenses.

"If we can do this, we will be able to provide better services," he said.

Fouzul stressed the importance of covering expenses from railway income while acknowledging the need for subsidies.

"Subsidies are required in all sectors, but we need to see how much can be provided," he remarked.

The inauguration ceremony was also attended by the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen.

The adviser attributed Bangladesh Railway's current challenges to irregular spending and resource shortages.

"The present state of the railway is largely due to immature expenditure. Stations were built here and there without proper planning or understanding of requirements," he noted.

Despite public dissatisfaction with rail services, Fouzul highlighted the dedication of railway officials.

"We have locomotive, coach, and manpower crises. The railway is operating with limited manpower. But no one talks about their [railway officials'] efforts. I would say they are the heroes of the railway," he said.

He also thanked railway officials, engineers, and the army for their contributions to the Padma Rail Link project, which facilitated the launch of the Dhaka-Khulna train service.

"Today, the train service from Khulna to Dhaka is launching via the Padma Rail Link. The train will reach Dhaka in just under four hours," he added.

Addressing passenger expectations, Fouzul explained the challenges of balancing efficiency with convenience.

"Passengers hope that the train will stop near their homes. They also want to reach their destination as quickly as possible. If stations increase, trains will have to stop, which will take more time," he said.

He stressed the need to prioritise stops at stations with higher passenger demand.

"You will have to use another transport to get to the station. We hope that the train will stop where there is higher passenger demand," he explained.