Demand for trains is huge, but authorities seem not to care

It is very sad that Bangladesh rail service could not have been a profitable venture despite having huge business potentials. Trains as a mode of transport is immensely popular here and Bangladesh Railway has no competitor like road, waterway and air travel, yet this state-owned agency remains a losing concern. No one seems to have any headache about the rail’s very poor performance.
According to a report of a national daily, Bangladesh Railway was given, in the last 14 years, more than Tk 70,000 crore, but little development is seen in terms of service compared to neighbouring India where trains have become profitable for the government long ago.  
Due to manpower and carriage shortage, the state-run agency cannot operate at least 99 of the 361 trains in its fleet. Among the passengers, both the local and intercity trains are very popular so much so that in cases of the long-distance faster trains, if someone does not buy tickets days before the day of journey, he will not get the ticket.
The local and commuter trains are also in demand, but most of the trains that remain inoperative are these trains. Decades ago, transportation of goods through trains was also very popular in Bangladesh. There is also a huge demand for goods service now, but the railway fails to utilize this also.
This government has been in power for more than 13 years and during this period people have become tired of listening to the government’s stories of development, the government’s mouth is shut by the present deep economic crisis though. However, the deplorable condition of Bangladesh rail is ample proof that the slogan of development was only for remaining in power for the government.
The government indeed built some visible pieces of infrastructure, but these are only showpieces of development for the government, since these mega projects were taken up for mega corruption, and as far as corruption is concerned, Bangladesh railway is no exception. The purchase of Chinese DEMU trains is a case of total loss. The government spent Tk 6.5 billion on these computer-controlled trains run with special software. They are now also out of operation.
However, that the 99 trains are now not inoperative, albeit for manpower and carriage shortages, speaks of the fact the railway remains the most neglected sector. The people of the country want to use trains for travel because they are cheaper and safer than other modes of transport, but the authorities never take this demand of passengers seriously to make it a financially viable entity.