Faruque Ahmed made MD of DMTCL

Faruque Ahmed, a Bangladeshi expatriate having experiences to work on different metro rail projects worldwide, has been selected as the managing director of the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL).

Sources said a six-member committee, headed by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology's Vice-Chancellor, made the recommendation after completing the selection process from four final candidates.

A total of 76 resident and non-resident Bangladeshis applied for the MD post after a recruitment notice was posted at the DMTCL website on October 23. The selection committee shortlisted seven candidates and ultimately interviewed four, three of whom are expatriates.

Faruque Ahmed, who is currently working for Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation India-Systra France, was selected by a narrow margin over the next leading candidate. An official letter has already been sent to him asking him to join the DMTCL on February 19.

With the appointment, the decade-old state-owned metro rail company, DMTCL, is set to have its first MD selected through a competitive process.

DMTCL's earlier two MDs were appointed from government cadre services. The first MD held the post in addition to the work as project director of MRT-6 development project.

However, the post was vacant on September 9 following the cancellation of the last MD's appointment. He was accused of illegally occupying the position for seven years since October 2017 after his retirement as the Road Transport and Highways Division secretary.

According to the CV, Mr Faruque, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from CUET in 1982, has 37 years of diversified experience in the construction industry, including 25 years in metro rails, transport infrastructures, conventional rail and high-speed rail projects across different continents.

He served as regional director, technical director, project director and director planning at AECOM and head of project controls at Egis France and WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Besides, he worked for West Rail Phase 1 of Hong Kong Metro for over seven years in various phases. He completed MBA from Australia, PhD in Quality Engineering from University of Macau, and Master of Engineering Science from the University of NSW, Sydney.

smunima@yahoo.com