Quader: No additional coaches for metro rail, headway to be reduced
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New ministers may be appointed after election for women's reserved seats
Despite high demand making boarding difficult during peak hours and holidays, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said no additional coaches will be added to the metro rail. However, the interval time (pause time) will be reduced.
The minister said this while replying to a question from reporters at the Secretariat on Monday.
The trains, each with six coaches, operate from 8am to 8:30pm, every 10-12 minutes.
When asked if it is possible to increase the convenience of the metro rail by reducing the interval time and adding more trains, he said: "Metrorail is not like Bangladesh Railway, where coaches can be added anytime. No country in the world has more than five coaches for the metro. We already have six working here."
He said: “Metro rail is a technological stuff. We can not change or add anything we want.. I am surprised, some newspaper editorials have written that more coaches should be added to the metro rail. There is no opportunity to increase it further. A plan is being made to reduce the interval time by two minutes."
On January 24, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) Company Secretary Mohammad Abdur Rauf said: "We are thinking of adding more coaches. In the system we have, we can add two more coaches to each coach. Besides, new coaches will be considered if needed."
Regarding reducing the intermediate time of the metro train's operation, he said: "Our team is working. We will conduct a survey to see how much we can reduce the intermediate time of the metro train's operation."
Cabinet size may increase
On Monday, Obaidul Quader said the cabinet may increase after electing members for the women's reserved seats in the parliament.
The minister said however, in some areas, such as the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs (where no ministers or state ministers have been appointed yet), a minister will be appointed at some point.
Quader believes that new ministers might be appointed once the women's reserved seats are filled, a decision that falls under the Prime Minister's authority.
Following the January 7 election, Sheikh Hasina formed her fourth consecutive cabinet on January 11. This cabinet has 37 members, including the prime minister, with 25 ministers and 11 state ministers.
'BNP still a major party'
Mentioning that BNP is still a major political party, the Awami League general secretary said they are now inactive.
“It is stuck in the shackles of wrong politics,” he said.
Asked about the death of 13 BNP leaders and activists in jail, Obaidul Quader said: "Where did they die? How did they die? In which prison or custody did they die? Throwing stones in the dark is not a good idea.”