The railway has got the nod to only three new projects for execution since the countrywide spread of coronavirus in March 2020, reflecting a budget crunch.
However, experts think that the sector must get priority considering the government's target to diversify communications and reduce reliance on road for both passenger and goods transportation.
Against 23 proposals, sources said, Planning Commission approved a feasibility study for electric traction, procurement of 200 broad-gauge carriages and a study for railway connectivity improvement during the period.
Of the Bangladesh Railway (BR) schemes, the electric traction study was approved at the end of fiscal year (FY) 2020-21 and the rest two at the end of FY2022.
Officials said the project evaluation committee meeting on another project, which is to rehabilitate 50 broad-gauge and 50 metre-gauge carriages, was also held.
But its approval now hangs in the balance as the BR is unable to meet the commission's guideline to reduce the number of packages in the project.
The guideline shows ignorance about the railway sector by the approval authorities, they added.
Among the projects, sources said, some bear significance for not only improving the pro-poor rail service, but also for taking forward other ongoing projects like Dohazari-Cox's Bazar rail link.
Besides, land acquisition to set up inland container depots at Dhirasram and Iswardi, and construction of Chattogram-Dohazari dual-gauge line are important to meet the growing demand for goods transportation and building a multimodal transport hub at Kamalapur.
It is learnt that 19 other projects of the state-backed rail-track developer and operator also await approval. They were placed before the pandemic period.
The BR started receiving increased budget since FY2010 with a record rise of 60-70 per cent on average as part of prioritising the sector.
Since FY2021, the budgetary allocation for the railway in the annual development programme (ADP) has also witnessed a slight rise.
In the current fiscal, 5.8 per cent of the total budget goes to the railway sector's development.
Amid austerity measures by the government, the BR has also been facing problems in continuing the implementation of existing projects in full swing.
Economist and additional research director of CPD Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem said the railway is considered an important sector that cuts dependency on the road.
Diversifying transportation of passengers and
goods is also important in the context of sustainability as fuel crisis and increased costs hit the sector, he cited.
The railway's growth can help the government cut fuel dependency, thus enabling it to reduce transport costs, he told the FE, attaching importance to approve development projects with due consideration.
The allocation for the BR in the current budget is Tk 148.86 billion. It was Tk 125.75 billion in FY2022.
The budget for FY2021 was Tk 119.88 billion.
However, the BR has completed five projects during the corona period.
smunima@yahoo.com