Country's sole railway museum in a shambles

The ramshackle Bangladesh Railway Museum at Pahartali in Chittagong, which has been left uncared for since its inception in 2003. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das

Bangladesh Railway (BR) Museum, the country's sole railway museum located in Pahartali of Chittagong city, has become dilapidated due to a lack of proper maintenance since its inception in 2003.
The museum's location is a sight to behold, a 12-acre land atop a hillock just opposite Bangladesh Railway Carriage and Wagon Workshop and surrounded by scenic greenery.
But visitors become disappointed once they enter the 4,394 square feet two-storey tin and wooden structure as most of the wood is rotting away while cracks can be seen developing in its uneven floor and tin roof.
“There are around 150 visitors every day but more come during the holidays,” said the museum's caretaker Md Jamal.
It remains open every day from 3:00pm to 5:00pm in the winter season and an hour more in summer and there are three temporary watchmen to look after the place, he said.
During visits, this correspondent found that the museum's shabby condition tended to turn enthusiasm of the many visitors, irrespective of age and gender, into disappointment and often drove many away.
Expressing resentment over the lack of maintenance, most visitors opined that the authority concerned should pay attention to the threats the museum's precarious structure was posing.
“The museum could be an attractive tourist spot if properly refurbished and if adequate security measures are provided in the area,” said Mozammel Hossain, a Chittagong City College student who came on a visit recently.
Another visitor, Sajia Rahman, a jobholder, mirrored his comment.
The museum, once a bungalow, came about and was opened on November 15, 2003 through the initiative of the then BR director general (DG) Rezaul Karim, said BR sources.
It showcases a rich collection of relics, objects used in Bangladesh Railway's past eras: Bengal-Assam Railway (1942), Eastern Bengal Railway (1947) and Pakistan Railway (1961).
The preserved artifacts mainly belong to mechanical, electrical, telecommunication, signal, traffic and engineering departments of the railway.
Those include different types of lamps, lights, fans and bells, uniforms and accessories of station masters, signalling equipment, transmitters, analog telephone, monograms, track switches and railway sleepers.
Senior Sub-assistant Engineer Golam Mostafa Khondaker, the museum's in-charge, said the museum will soon be renovated and a boundary wall and benches alongside it will be constructed.
The estimated renovation cost is Tk 17.50 lakh while Tk 22 lakh is the estimated cost for the wall's construction, he said.
BR (east zone) Chief Engineer AKM Mahbub-ul-Alam said the renovation could start within two or three months.