Railway revenue sees Tk 22 lakh cut a day
Bangladesh Railway (BR) is witnessing a fall in revenue amounting to over Tk 22 lakh a day amidst the ongoing blockade of the BNP-led 20-party alliance which began on January 6.
Trains are falling behind schedule in attempts to avoid risks and acts of sabotage, prompting prospective passengers to return tickets. According to officials, losses will go up further if the political turmoil continues.
“The decrease in the number of passengers has been the main reason behind the loss…at least 25 percent of passengers are seeking refunds every day due to the delays in train schedules amid the blockade,” BR Director General Amzad Hossain told the news agency.
BR Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) (east zone) Belal Uddin said they normally earned about Tk 1.10 crore per day from the east zone. “But, the income fell by 20 percent in the last few days,” he added.
BR CCO (west zone) Habibur Rahman, however, could provide no such statistics.
Railways Secretary Md Munsur Ali Sikder said the government has deployed 8,328 Ansar and Village Defence Party members, eight in every kilometre of tracks across the country, since January 12.
Each train now has four armed Ansar members -- two in the first compartment and two in the last. “Train schedules have been reshuffled,” he added.
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