Railways Minister Zillul Hakim on Thursday said that the estimated financial loss of the railways due to BNP-Jamaat arson terrorism on the eve of the 12th general elections was Tk 9 crore, reports UNB.
“On the eve of the 12th National elections, BNP, Jamaat and their allies set fire to the train through arson attacks. According to the preliminary data, the estimated financial loss of the railway is Tk 9.28 crore.”
The minister said this while responding to a question from a ruling party lawmaker elected from Noakhali Morshed Alam.
He said that 99 railway projects have been taken up since 2009.
He mentioned that some 947.99 km new rail lines have been constructed in the last 12 years.
He also said that in this tenure some 340.17 km of meter gauge railway line converted to dual gauge while 1391.32 km of railway lines rehabilitated or reconstructed.
The minister also said that 148 new station buildings have been constructed while 238 station building rehabilitated/reconstructed, 1062 new railway bridge constructed, 794 railway bridge rehabilitated or reconstructed and development and modernisation of signalling system at 137 stations were done.
In response to the question of Independent MP elected from Dhaka Muhammad Saiful Islam, Zillul Hakim said that the expenditure of railways in the last 2022-23 fiscal was Tk 3007 crore.
“At that time, the revenue of the railway was Tk 1,783 crores,” he said.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
