Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan on Monday said the number of vacancies in the railways is 22,604. The information was given in response to a tabled question from ruling party lawmaker elected from Noakhali Mamunur Rashid Kiran. The minister said the total number of vacant posts in the railways is 22,604.  Of these, 201 is first class, 1601 is second class, 8565 is third class and 12,328 is fourth class. The minister said that out of these vacancies, the ministry has sent demand to the PSC for 14 first class and 554 second class posts. Also read: CHT to be brought under railways network Clearance for 7351 posts for third and fourth class has been given. Of these, job vacancies for 441 posts of third class and 2812 posts of fourth class have been given.  The recruitment test for ALM Grade-2 and Guard Grade 2 posts will be held on June 18. In response to another question from ruling party lawmaker elected from Dhaka Haji Selim's question, the railway minister  said that the size of unused land of the railway is 10,843.15 hectares.  Initiatives have been taken to bring these unused lands under fencing, he said. The minister said that some unused lands of the railways and vacant lands in residential areas are illegally occupied. “These illegal occupants will be evicted gradually, every month eviction drive is being conducted,” the minister said. Also read: Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar train service to open by June, 2023: Railways Minister Replying to a question by Workers Party lawmaker in reserved women seat Begum Lutfun Nesa Khan, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that dope test has been made compulsory in the case of issue and renewal of professional driving license from January 30, 2022.  “License is not being renewed or issued if the dope test report is positive or has negative comments.”  Quader, in reply to a question from ruling party lawmaker elected from Dhaka Benazir Ahmed said that till now (May 2022) the toll collection of Bangabandhu Bridge is Tk. 7,135.65 crore and toll collection of Muktarpur Bridge is Tk 183.81 crore. Responding to a question from ruling party MP elected from Chattogram M Abdul Latif,  Quader said that according to the Dhaka Urban Transport Network Development Study (DHUTS) report (2010), there is 10.48 percent roads in the two city corporations of Dhaka.  Plans have been taken to build a well-connected inner ring road around the Dhaka metropolis, he added.

Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan has claimed to have no involvement in the suspension of a Travel Ticket Examiner (TTE), Shafiqul Islam, over “misbehaving with passengers”. He also denied that the passengers were his relatives. On Friday, news broke of a TTE on a train being suspended for fining three people claiming to be Railway Minister’s relatives who were travelling without tickets. The TTE was said to have been suspended over a phone call without being given a chance to even defend himself. “No relatives of mine were involved with the incident. I have no relationship with the passengers involved in the incident. Some opportunists have tried to take advantage by selling my name,” Sujan told UNB on Saturday. Also read: TIB condemns suspension of TTE, says Railways Minister should resign Expressing his firm stance on behalf of the offenders being brought to book, the minister said, “No one involved with the incident will be spared even if passengers without tickets are related to me. Similarly, if a railway official commits any misdeed with the passengers, he will also have to face the same music.” Sujan also claimed that he is not aware of the suspension of the railway official.      “I heard about the incident last night from higher officials of the ministry. Authorities have taken departmental action against the concerned official after a written complaint by the passengers. If he (suspended TTE) can respond properly, then he will be awarded,” the minister said.    He also said that TTEs often harass the passengers and do misbehave with them, which tarnishes the image of the railways. Usually the ministry cannot take action against the accused TTEs due to manpower shortage, added the minister. 

Brahmanbaria railway station which was vandalised and torched by Hefazat-e-Islam activists and supporters on March 26 resumed its full-scale operation on Saturday. The full-fledged operation of the station began with the stoppage of Jayantika Express train at the station on its way from Dhaka to Sylhet. Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan and Brahmanbaria Sadar MP  Obaidul Moktadir Chowdhury inaugurated the operation of the station from Kamalapur station in Dhaka Brahmanbaria railway station respectively in the morning. Read: Railways Minister seeks Russian investment in railway sector Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said that on March 26, the station master's room, operating room, VIP room, chief booking assistant's room, ticket counter, signaling equipment including panel board, level crossing gate with point box and other installations were vandalized and set on fire at Brahmanbaria rail station. The attacks caused a loss of Tk 2.5 crore to Bangladesh Railway. Stoppages of all intercity trains were suspended at Brahmanbaria station after the incident. Read: Natore’s Azimnagar railway station closed He said that trains will stop at the station as before from now, he said adding that 14 intercity, 6 mail and 4 commuter trains stop at the station. Railway Station Master Shoaib Mia said that with the resumption of the activities of Brahmanbaria station it has been upgraded from D category to B category rail station.

Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan on Tuesday hinted that Dhaka-Bhanga rail link through the Padma Bridge can  be launched on 16 December 2022 if things go smoothly. “It will be impossible to install the tracks within June 2022 if the bridge authorities do not hand over the work to railway within December 2021 or January 2022.” “If bridge and rail operation cannot begin together, we will try to start rail operation on Dhaka-Bhanga route from December 2022," he added. Read: Padma Bridge: Installation of all roadway slabs completed The minister was talking to the press following inspection of the rail link project at both ends of the Padma Bridge on Tuesday morning. Railway Secretary Selim Reza, Director General of Railways Dhirendranath Majumder, Padma Bridge Rail Link Project Director Md Afzal Hossain were also present during the visit.

As part of initiative taken to modernise the railway services, more than 50 railway stations are now being renovated on the occasion of the Mujib Year, said Railways Minister Md. Nurul Islam Sujan on Sunday. “The government has taken different initiatives in order to build a modern, up-to-date and advanced railway communication system,” he said. The minister said this while laying the foundation stone of a modern public toilet adjacent to the Kamalapur Railway Station here. WaterAid Bangladesh and Bangladesh Railway jointly constructed the toilet, said a PID handout. “Some 52 railway stations are being renovated and modernised throughout the country on the occasion of the Mujib birth centenary. These will have modern toilets,” he said. Read: After 56 yrs, Bangladesh-India rail link to reopen Sunday Nurul said many projects are now being implemented and many others have already been undertaken for the development of the railway sector. “Old rail tracks and bridges are being repaired. New rail coaches and engines are being brought. The new trains would have bio toilets to avoid the pollution of the environment,” he said. He said the Khulna-Mongla railway and Tongi-Joydebpur double-track railway would be launched  next year. Had the railway faced no brunt of Coronavirus, the sector would be more developed now, he said. The minister said the Bangladesh Railway has taken initiative to form a consultancy firm under its own management as part of enhancing the capacity. “We would be able to provide consultancy service with our own manpower and thus it would save the foreign currency,” he said. Talking about the new public toilet, he said WaterAid Bangladesh and Bangladesh Railway will also construct two such toilets at the valiant freedom fighter Sirajul Islam Railway Station in Panchagarh and Ishwardi Railway Station in Pabna. Read: Dhaka’s first-ever metro rail set to start by December 2022, says project chief The public toilet would be a friendly one to women, children and even persons with disabilities.  Alongside the separate entry doors for both women and men, there would be safe water, rainwater conservation system, breast-feeding corner and solar power system in the toilets. Railway Secretary Md. Salim Reza and WaterAid Bangladesh country director Hasin Jahan also spoke at the function presided over by Director General of Bangladesh Railways Dhirendra Nath Mazumder.

Bangladesh Railway Sunday signed contracts with two Sino-Bangla joint-venture companies for the construction of a rail line from Faridpur's Madhukhali to Magura town. The project will build a 19.90 km main line at the cost of Tk1,202.49 crore. Project Director Ashadul Haque and contracting organisation representatives Liu Xue Bing and Tang signed the agreements in the capital. When the project is completed, Magura, a southwestern district, will come under the railway network. It will also connect the southwestern part of the country with Dhaka city through the Padma bridge. Speaking at the programme, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said, "The right kind of development cannot take place in a country that does not have an integrated communication system." "The Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, construction of a separate railway bridge across the River Jamuna, construction of a new railway line from Chattogram to Cox's Bazar and rail link at Mongla Port are among the many projects that are underway now."

Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan on Wednesday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will officially lay the foundation stone of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge over the Jamuna River on November 29.

Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan on Saturday said steps will be taken to stop privatisation of railway to ensure good governance.