No headway in eight yrs after PM's directive

BR four-zone split plan shelved

FE Team | Published: May 28, 2022 22:41:24

MUNIMA SULTANA
The plan to divide the Bangladesh Railway (BR) into four zones for efficient operation of goods and passenger trains of more than 3,000 kilometre capacity has been shelved ignoring a directive of the Prime Minister for more than eight years.
Sources said shortly after receiving the directive from the premier during her visit to the BR headquarters after the 2014 elections, moves like formation of committees were initially taken to divide the rail transport agency into east, west, north and south zones; but there has not been seen any headway of the move.
None of the BR officials and the Ministry of Railways (MoR) knows anything about the fate of those moves and even about the reports submitted by the two committees afterward.
The FE also talked with various sections but could not trace the latest report submitted in September 2018.
The BR is now operating more than 328 passenger trains and 26 freight trains on its 3,093 kilometre route and 4,438 km tracks, split into two zones - east and west.
BR Director General Dhirendra Nath Mazumder, however, told the FE that there was no such initiative in sight due to lack of manpower as the BR has been running with half of its original manpower.
He said as the BR's proposal for recruitment was approved in September last, the initiative may be revived now.
When asked about the report submitted by a committee on the zonal reform , he also could not reply even after talking with the section concerned.
According to a document prepared by the BR on the status of the PM's directives on the rail sector, a committee comprising joint secretary (land), joint director general (operations), joint director general (mechanical), director (establishment) and director (engineering) was formed after the visit of the PM.
Upon the committee's report, proposals were sent to the MoR to divide the BR into four zones and eight operating departments in 2015.
Later in 2016, another committee was formed at a meeting led by the then Railway Minister which also submitted the report proposing geographical area, manpower, financial strength etc., for the zones and departments.
Sources said based on the report and comments from the BR consultants, review meetings were also held in December 2018 and February 2019.
No further move was taken afterwards.
The FE correspondent came to know that the officials concerned were transferred from the respective desks and sections and current officials and staffers did not know whereabouts of the report submitted in 2018.
However, preferring not to be named, an official said BR was guided to get approval of its recruitment proposal first then to go for the zonal division reform as it was submitted before the PM's directive.
But it took seven years to get the approval for the recruitment.
The official also said they will start working on division of the zones after some recruitment is done.
smunima@yahoo.com