The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) continues to face bureaucratic hurdles that have weakened its operational capacity, according to officials and project insiders.
Established in 2014 to develop and operate Dhaka's metro rail network, the state-owned company has struggled with governance, staffing and procurement issues since its inception, they said.
"We do not see any future for metro rail under this company if the current situation continues," said a source involved in Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) projects under the DMTCL.
The company is responsible for implementing six MRT lines. MRT Line-6 is already operational, while MRT Line-1 and MRT Line-5 North are at the procurement stage. The total estimated investment in these projects is around Tk 3.0 trillion.
Engineers, consultants and project insiders said the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges (MoRTB) has undermined the spirit of DMTCL's founding framework by exercising excessive control over its operations. The company is an independent entity manned by dedicated professional people.
They said the RTHD's influence extends from the appointment of managing directors to the recruitment of permanent staff, often resulting in delayed decision-making and project stagnation.
Under the original framework, the managing director was to be appointed through an open and competitive process from among qualified engineers or professionals with expertise in urban rail systems.
However, the RTHD and the Ministry of Public Administration have so far appointed bureaucrats to the post, including a retired secretary and additional secretaries.
The first managing director, a retired RTHD secretary, amended the company's Articles of Association (AoA) to make retired secretaries eligible for the position.
During the tenure of the interim government, the AoA was amended again to restore the original qualification requirements, and an engineer with overseas metro rail experience was appointed managing director.
After serving for only about a year, he was removed in March, and the Ministry of Public Administration subsequently appointed another additional secretary as managing director, allegedly in violation of the AoA, despite his having no prior experience in metro rail projects.
Sources also alleged that the RTHD has curtailed the DMTCL board's authority in procurement matters. Procurement proposals approved by the board are now sent to the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP), resulting in lengthy delays.
"Even after receiving board approval, some procurement proposals remain idle at the RTHD for months before being forwarded to the CCGP," said an official involved in the process.
He claimed that such delays have fuelled frustration among Japanese stakeholders supporting three of the six MRT projects.
Another source blamed bureaucratic inefficiency for the withdrawal of Japanese contractor Kajima Corporation from Contract Package-5 (CP-5) of MRT Line-1, alleging that the company became frustrated with prolonged delays caused by the ineffective functioning of both the DMTCL and the RTHD.
He added that the procurement proposal for Contract Package-2 (CP-2) of MRT Line-1 has also remained pending at the RTHD for more than a month despite receiving board approval.
Under the Revised Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP), the DMTCL is responsible for implementing six MRT lines with a combined network length of 129.3 kilometres.
Following the formation of the current government, monorail development was also added to the country's transport priorities alongside the existing MRT projects.
Despite the prime minister's directive at a meeting on May 3 to accelerate MRT implementation, a consultant involved in the projects expressed disappointment over the lack of visible progress.
"Nothing has changed on the ground," he said, requesting anonymity.
He further claimed that Japanese development partners have gradually lost interest because of prolonged delays and institutional weaknesses.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided technical and financial support for the planning, feasibility studies and implementation of three MRT lines.
Despite repeated recommendations from JICA and other stakeholders since DMTCL's establishment in 2014, recruitment of permanent staff did not begin until 2020, while the company's service rules were approved only in December 2025.
Since the inception of the metro rail projects in 2013, the company has relied heavily on officials on deputation and retired government employees.
Sources said employees recruited on project contracts during the tenure of the retired secretary as managing director have since come into conflict over their absorption into the permanent DMTCL workforce.
They alleged that delays in implementing the service rules have deprived many employees of career progression and employment benefits.
The dispute led to two suspensions of MRT Line-6 operations in 2024 and 2025.
"This conflict may again threaten metro rail operations because regular DMTCL employees will suffer in terms of promotions and service benefits. The entire system could face serious disruption if the approved service rules are not fully implemented," an insider said.
The DMTCL currently employs more than 1,300 staff members.
However, sources said more than 100 employees have already resigned because of comparatively poor benefits compared with those offered by other state-owned companies.
According to its approved organogram, the company is supposed to have 1,914 positions, including 133 at its headquarters and 884 dedicated to operation and maintenance. The remaining functions are to be outsourced under the organisational structure approved in 2017.
The company was established with 98.8 per cent government ownership under the Road Transport and Highways Division.
The remaining shares are held by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), the Prime Minister's Office, and the ministries of finance, railways, home affairs and local government, as well as the Power Division and other government entities.
smunima@yahoo.com
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