Dinajpur,
Nov 22 (UNB) - A staggering amount of Tk 10,000 crore spent on the Karnaphuli
Tunnel has proven to be a wasted investment, said Mohammad Fouzul Kabir Khan,
Power, Energy, Mineral Resources, and Railways adviser said on Friday.
Speaking to the media
after inspecting the Parbatipur Central Locomotive Factory in Dinajpur, the
adviser criticised the previous government's handling of railway development,
claiming that the vast financial resources allocated for the sector were
largely squandered with little to show in terms of actual improvement in
passenger services.
He pointed out that
while the railway network had been expanded to several areas, including the
construction of several unnecessary rail stations and lines in places like
Gopalganj, these projects failed to address the real needs of passengers.
Many of these stations,
he noted, were built in regions with no significant demand for rail service,
leading to a waste of resources and a lack of meaningful improvements to the
quality of service.
The Karnaphuli Tunnel,
which cost Tk 10,000 crore to build, has similarly failed to live up to
expectations. Despite its high price tag, Fouzul revealed that no vehicles
currently operate through the tunnel, rendering it an underutilised and inefficient
infrastructure project.
Furthermore, he
highlighted that the lack of investment in acquiring locomotives and passenger
wagons had compounded the issue, with the existing rolling stock left
inoperable and unused
The adviser assured that
efforts would be made to revitalise the railway sector.
He stressed the
importance of improving passenger services, coordinating developments across
road, rail, and water transport, and addressing the acute manpower shortages
within the railway system.
However, he conceded
that acquiring locomotives and wagons would take time, but hoped that by
repairing and restoring existing assets, passenger services could be improved
in the short term.
Senior railway officials
and employees were present at the time.
End/UNB/Corr/MB/F