Costs of any projects in Bangladesh higher than in India: Rail Adviser

Costs of any projects in Bangladesh are much higher than India and other neighbouring countries, Railways Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said on Tuesday (24 December).

"I urge everyone to find ways to reduce expenses. If we can do this, we'll be able to provide better services," he said while speaking at the inauguration of the Dhaka-Khulna train service via Padma Bridge on Tuesday morning.

"We need to cover expenses from the railway's income. Subsidies are required in all sectors, but we need to see how much can be provided."

The adviser also said Bangladesh Railway's current challenges stem from irregular spending and resource shortages, stressing that past unplanned developments have slowed the sector's progress.

"The present state of the railway is largely due to immature expenditure. Stations were built here and there without proper planning or understanding of requirements."

Acknowledging public dissatisfaction with the rail service, the adviser said, "We have locomotive, coach, and manpower crises. The railway is operating with limited manpower. But no one talks about their [railway officials] efforts. I would say they are the heroes of the railway."

"Today, the train service from Khulna to Dhaka is launching via the Padma Rail Link. The train will reach Dhaka in just under four hours," he added.

Fouzul thanked the railway officials, engineers, and the army for their contributions to implementing the Padma rail link project.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen also attended the inauguration ceremony.