Amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, Bangladesh’s Eastern Railway is facing uncertainty over fuel supply, with officials reluctant to provide clear information.
The lack of transparency has raised questions about how diesel, essential for running locomotives, is being managed during the current shortage.
The Mechanical Engineering Department is responsible for fuel management. Assistant Mechanical Officer Wahidur Rahman told reporters that he cannot release any information without the Chief Mechanical Officer’s approval.
Chief Mechanical Officer Sadiqur Rahman said fuel supply figures could only be shared with the authorisation of the Eastern Railway General Manager. He added that under normal circumstances, Eastern Railway requires around 2.5 million litres (882.86 tonnes) of diesel per month, but did not disclose current supply levels.
Repeated attempts to contact the Eastern Railway General Manager, Md Subaktagin, over three days were unsuccessful. Deputy General Manager Ataul Haque Bhuiya stated that the Mechanical Department is responsible for providing fuel information and denied any restrictions on releasing data.
Eastern Railway’s current operations include 58 intercity and 60 local trains, run by 74 locomotives. Fuel is collected from the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation via railway wagons and stored at the Pahartali diesel shop in Chattogram before distribution to locomotives.
Past allegations of fuel theft and mismanagement at the railway have heightened concerns over transparency. In the current crisis, the absence of clear information has led to renewed scrutiny of Eastern Railway’s fuel supply and management practices.
