Additional Secretary Mohammad ShaugatulAlam has been appointed Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), the state-owned entity responsible for planning, implementing, operating and maintaining the capital's metro rail system.
The Ministry of Public Administration issued the appointment order in a circular on Wednesday, in a move that appears to contradict the company's Articles of Association (AoA).
The AoA stipulates that the MD should have experience in urban transport system implementation, operation and management supervision.
MrAlam, an electrical and electronic engineering graduate from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), is currently serving as Director General of Novo Theatre in Dhaka and has previously worked under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Speaking to The Financial Express, he said he would assume charge as DMTCL managing director on Sunday.
At its 60th board meeting last year, DMTCL amended Article 33(ii), adding that any individual with experience in urban transport system implementation, operation and management supervision would qualify for the post.
The managing director also serves as an ex officio member of the board, according to the amendment.
Since its establishment in 2013, the AoA has been amended twice, while retaining the core requirement that the managing director should be an engineer or from a similar discipline with more than 20 years' experience in urban transportation.
However, the first amendment in 2018 allowed for the appointment of a retired secretary with relevant experience.
This change enabled former Road Transport and Highways Division secretary M A N Siddique to take over as managing director on October 27, 2017.
Mr Siddique reportedly remained in the position until September 2024, despite questions over the legality of his tenure, as it was not based on a defined term of service.
Following his removal on September 9, 2024, the Road Transport and Highways Division selected Bangladeshi expatriate engineer Faruque Ahmed, who has international metro rail experience, through a selection committee.
He was appointed managing director on February 19, 2025 for a three-year term.
However, his appointment was cancelled on March 4 after the new government assumed office. Observers attributed the decision to strained relations with the Japanese development partner of the metro rail project, particularly over procurement issues.
Experts note that developing a mass rapid transit (MRT) system is highly technical, while local institutional capacity in such specialised areas remains limited.
They emphasise that the AoA recommends appointing the managing director through an open, competitive process rather than deputation from the civil service.
Previously, the managing director position had also been held by an additional secretary who simultaneously served as project director of the first metro rail project, MRT Line-1.
smunima@yahoo.com
