Dhaka: Railways Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam announced the government’s initiative to convert Bangladesh Railway (BR) from a loss-incurring entity into a profitable and service-oriented sector during a views-exchange meeting with officials at Setu Bhaban. Alam emphasized the government’s commitment to reorganizing BR to eliminate its current status as a loss-making organization.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has prioritized the development of BR and the enhancement of passenger services. The election manifesto of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) during the 13th Jatiya Sangsad Election highlighted the revitalization of the railway as the backbone of national transport. Special directives have been issued to prevent ticket black-marketing, curb corruption, and improve passenger services.
The minister assured that measures for smooth and harassment-free train journeys will be implemented during the upcoming Eid al-Fitr. He instructed officials to prepare a practical action plan within 180 days to implement the BNP’s election manifesto. Additionally, efforts to reduce travel time on the Dhaka-Chattogram route will be explored within the next week.
State Ministers for Railways Habibur Rashid and Md Rajib Ahsan participated as special guests in the meeting. Railways Secretary Md. Fahimul Islam presided over the session, with Director General of Bangladesh Railway Md. Afzal Hossain and senior officials from the Ministry of Railways and Bangladesh Railway also in attendance.