Dealing with railway maladies

The railway was introduced in Britain in 1825. It immediately spread on both sides of the Atlantic, thereafter the whole world. Rail transport is people's transport in the real sense of the term. It is comfortable, far less risky and affordable. In welcoming the railway technology, Bengal was not very far behind Europe and America. The first railway track was laid in Bengal in 1854.
  In the later days, despite the step motherly attitude of the central government of Pakistan, East Pakistan railway was running with efficiency offering whatever best it could do in terms of services to the commuters. The importance attached to the railway in the bygone days can be seen from the fact that after partition Sher-e-Bangla A K Fazlul Hoq was the first President of East Pakistan Railway Employees League. But unfortunately, after liberation, the railway started to move backward. Previously, there was a separate ministry for the railway and also a separate budget. But the railway ministry was abolished and merged with the ministry of communication where the road division called the shots. Gradually, the number of railway stations declined and mileage shrank. At one stage, there was the conspiracy to totally abolish the rail system. Advised by the World Bank, ten thousand railway officers and staff were jettisoned in the name of golden hand shake. The irony is that in spite of this, the railway is the largest employer among the government agencies.
It was because of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's effort that a separate ministry for the railway was again introduced. This generated a lot of hope among the people that the railway would get reinvigorated. It would be a real mass transport and also a big carrier of goods. Although, it remains to be said that the road transport tycoons want to destroy the railway for the aforesaid reasons. The performance of the railway ministry is poor and there is a lack of initiative to improve the deplorable state in which the railway has been languishing for long.
A few days back a police van rammed a speedy mail train and got totally smashed killing four constables and injuring few other at Syedpur. There was no gateman. The railway department formed an enquiry committee which held the driver responsible. A cruel joke indeed!  It was a national highway and there must be a gateman to close the gate before the arrival of the train. The driver of the vehicle did not smash the gate and hit the train. Crash of vehicles killing people in the rail gates have been a regular phenomenon in recent times. It seems the railway department is determined not to take any action.  During the 24 years of the life of East Pakistan railway, no such incident of gate crash happened.
The government is now contemplating to establish connectively of the Bangladesh Railway with the Trans-Asian Railway. When the directorate of the railway cannot manage its internal network across the country, it is unthinkable on its part to function at regional level, until the prevailing infrastructure is radically improved.
   The maladies that afflict the railway today are too many. Dearth of efficient and skilled manpower and lack of technology are among the major deficiencies. Surprisingly, the railway is still under the influence and control of the road transport tycoons. Railway department publishes timetables for the conveniences of the   commuters. But it is alleged that while preparing the timetable of various trains, instructions  and suggestions of the shenanigans of the road transport sector are often complied with.
 Under the prevailing conditions, the railway cannot rise up to the expectations of the common people. There is a preference for bureaucrats over professionals to head the railway directorate, which is one of the reasons why there is hardly any proactive initiative. There is no arguing that a technical organisation like railway must be run by professionally skilled people. In order that railway is allowed to function freely devoid of pressure from unholy quarters, it should be provided with the tools for being pro-people and proactive.
     rezaulparvaz@live.com