Bangladesh Railway has been virtually paralysed in recent months with fewer passengers opting for train journeys due to countrywide political unrest.
In the peak season for travels, spanning November and February, the railway communication between Dhaka and the outlying destinations has been almost cut off, said officials.
BR officials said it would take at least a year for the passengers to overcome panic.
The needed repairs also could take up to a year, they said.
Since February, at least 397 incidents took place in which the railway facilities including locomotives, coaches and stations and tracks came under increasing attacks, said officials.
There were several instances of setting carriages and tracks on fire, fishplate removals and uprooting of tracks besides blocking the lines, they said.
As a result, they said, delays became almost endemic.
Now, people fear to travel by trains, they said.
Compared to normal times, they said, BR carried only 25 to 30 per cent passengers from Dhaka to outlying destinations since the close of October.
During the peak season, BR’s passenger load increases to 150 per cent,’ said a senior railway officer.
He said that the rush of passengers fell sharply at Lalmonirhat, Paksey and Chittagong.
BR’s revenue earnings also dropped sharply, he added.
Divisional railway manager in Dhaka Sardar Shahadat Ali said that it would take at least a year to repair the damaged locomotives, coaches, tracks and other facilities.
It could take up to a year for the travelling public to overcome the panic caused by the non stop political unrest,’ he added.
BR director general Mohammad Abu Taher told New Age that 242 incidents of sabotage took place against railway facilities since October 25.
Since February BR incurred a loss of Tk 34 crore, he said.
And it would take at least Tk 17 crore to repair the damaged facilities, he said.
-With New Age input
