LALMONIRHAT: Bangladesh Railway authorities stopped daily operations of its 56 rail-stations in the west zone for inadequate manpower, a step that deprives people of the underdeveloped region of cheaper communications.
Thirty-one rail-stations of Paksey and 25 of Lalmonirhat division in the west zone have been inoperative for last seven to eight years due to inadequate manpower, officials said.
There has been no passenger and freight movement. Public sufferings are at its peak and BR has been losing money.
Sources said the situation would remain unchanged until new stationmasters are appointed--and the situation would take a turn for the worse after the retirement of the ageing incumbent masters.
According to railway sources, there are 435 stations for its 3,000-kilometer route, where some 1,144 posts were designated for stationmasters.
Shahidul Islam, Paksey divisional transport officer of Railway, said there are 362 posts of stationmasters for 134 stations in the division.
Meanwhile, he said, a total of 31 stations were shut down for inadequate number of stationmasters.
If some 428 vacant posts were fulfilled, the situation would improve.
“Nine to ten stationmasters are required in every station to run a 24-hour operation,” he said.
Skilled retired stationmasters formed a panel and forwarded a ‘contractual appointment proposal’ to the communications ministry as a solution to the existing problem. As yet, no fruitful result came about from the ministry, he added.
Syed Jahurul Islam, divisional traffic superintendent of Lalmonirhat, said that there are 172 stationmaster posts for 81 stations in the division of which 25 were shut down as 70 stationmasters were retrenched.
Abdul Awal Bhuiyan, chief personnel officer in the west zone of railway, blamed insufficient manpower for the shutdown of 56 stations.
He also said that legal complications halted the procedure of stationmaster appointment, circulated in 2006-07, and within an hour the case was dismissed.
“The process of appointment would be finalized in next five to six months if any new issue doesn’t arise.”
BDST: 1720, HRS, 1 July 2010
