Leadership vacuum lingers at DMTCL for over a month

The question of who the next managing director (MD) of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) will be remains unresolved, more than a month after the government cancelled the contract of the previous MD.
The Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) terminated the appointment of Mohammad Faruque Ahmed, the country's first Bangladeshi expatriate engineer appointed as the DMTCL MD on February 9, 2025, for a three-year term.
His selection had followed a competitive process, recognising his experience in developing metro rail projects in several countries.
Earlier, a former MD had held the position for nearly seven years after his retirement as the RTHD secretary.
He also changed the company's Articles of Association (AoA) in 2018 to allow former secretaries to qualify for the post.
The AoA, which initially required the MD to be an experienced engineer or have qualifications in a related discipline, was amended again recently after Faruque's appointment during the interim government's tenure.
Although the DMTCL board is the official authority to appoint the MD as a state-owned autonomous entity, sources say the RTHD is handling the process following the usual government procedure.
RTHD Secretary Mohammad Ziauddin Haque, who also serves as the DMTCL chairman, refrained from commenting on the selection process now but said they were awaiting instructions from the higher authorities.
He also declined to comment on any proposed changes to the AoA.
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Professor Moazzem Hossain emphasised the importance of following international practices when appointing an MD, given the technical demands of a high-tech metro system.
"Even if I am unaware of any move to change the qualification criteria, a politically or administratively whimsical appointment could be damaging," he told The Financial Express over the phone.
Dr Moazzem, who once served as a DMTCL director, suggested the management body form a search committee to find a suitable MD.
After the cancellation of the previous MD's contract, RTHD temporarily appointed an additional secretary as the acting MD.
Sources say it is challenging for an individual to manage the enormous workload of DMTCL, particularly given the complexities surrounding the tender processes for MRT-1 and MRT-5 North.
DMTCL has plans to develop six MRT lines across Dhaka under the Strategic Transport Plan (STP), revised in 2015.
Of these, only part of MRT-6 is operational, while MRT-1, MRT-5 North, and MRT-5 South remain stalled due to the absence of a permanent MD.
Official sources say except for the MRT-6 extension from Motijheel to Kamalapur, all other projects are at a standstill as critical decisions require the MD's approval.
The previous MD stalled MRT-1 and MRT-5 North developments, demanding retenders for several contract packages after identifying exorbitant prices quoted by some of the lowest bidders.

smunima@yahoo.com