Modernise train services, curb corruptions, say left politicians

Politicians, mass transport experts and railway trade union leaders in the city on Sunday called on the Awami League-led government to take steps to improve the quality of train services and modernise the sub-sector.
At a views exchange programme, they also urged the government to take moves to combat corruption in this sub-sector.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh and Socialist Party of Bangaldesh organised the views exchange programme at CPB central office titled ‘Refrain from adopting wrong policies and turn the railway as mass transports and cut train fares.’
SPB central leader Razequzzaman Ratan read out the keynote paper.
The railway has been incurring huge losses every year for its wrong policy and corrupt practices by some officials and employees, the keynote speaker claimed.
Ratan proposed for taking steps to enhance the quality of passenger services in the trains and also expanding the numbers of trains and coaches across the country.
Mujahidul Islam Selim, the CPB president who chaired the programme, opposed the recent train fare hikes which were enforced last week and called on the government to take steps for improving the services and turning railway as a mass transport.
The CPB and SPB will jointly organise a programme which they named ‘10-day Railway Saving Drive’ on March 31 through April 9 to drum up supports for a better railway, Selim said.
The SPB general secretary Khalequzzaman claimed that the government is implementing the prescriptions given by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to trim train services.
He said the length of rail tracts did not expand in the last 44 years and that many rail stations were closed.
Saiful Huq, general secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh said that the railway could be sustained if correct policies were taken, curbing corruptions.
Railway labour leader Aminul Islam Khan, demanded modernisation of the railway system including the workshops.
Train communications expert Maruf Hossain opposed de-nationalisation of some services, such as ticketing and running pantry cars, and said the quality of the services would eventually decrease in private hands.
Secretary general of the Jatri Kalyan Samiti Mozammel Haque, labour leader Atiqur Rahman, CPB central leaders Ahsan Habib Lablu and Cafee Ratan also spoke.

News Courtesy: www.newagebe.net