What are the major problems of Bangladesh Railway related to Human Resources?

From my visit in a few major railway establishments in Bangladesh for conducting and helping conduct technical seminars, I came to know a bit of what has been ailing BR.

These may not be very authentic, but these are what I could understand why a monolith of BR’s stature couldn’t make money in spite of having so many advantages in their favor, as against the road transport operators:

1. There are more ‘human’ (personnel) in BR than required to run any railway systems in the world. Mostly, people are appointed by political or local ‘godfather’ biases.

Probable solution: Reduce the surplus and non-productive and idle workers. Go for automation of ticketing and other services, the root cause of corruption in BR.

2. The mindset of the top ranking management is still harboring the ‘British Raj’ mentality, those we also see in and among our Tea Garden (Estate) Managers and their assistants. This causes major communication gap and the whole system runs on the whims of the top-brasses.

Probable solution: Massive ‘education’ and training programme to be launched with progressive minded Managers and workers after shedding the old-timers who spend their days by gossiping. If needed, employ fresh people with modern background who could operate computer and such present day’s technologies well.

3. Most of the employees (lower ranking management and workers) are not satisfied with their pay checks and also their service terms and conditions.

Probable solution: Have the monthly salary and wages as well as payments for the Casual workers fixed or revised in such a manner that they would not feel tempted to steal furniture and fittings from the carriages as well as from their office buildings.

4. Misuse of railway ‘pass’ and such amenities causes discrimination among the employees. I know about a few cases when the Senior manager need to travel from say Parbatipur or Rajshahi or Chittagong to Dhaka, they would add a ‘Saloon’ coach with the main train for the comfort of one or two persons. Like the Queen of England would travel.

Probable solution: Strict monitoring or perks and amenities to be introduced and some sort of minimum ‘decencies’ to be observed when the BR officials are traveling by train. The 3rd & 4th class workers hardly get a single seat while their bosses gets a full luxuries compartments reserved!

Like any of the government and semi-government, and Autonomous bodies of Bangladesh, BR is having identical problems of militant employees unions who are keeping their members hostage at their whims. They do not go for ‘Strikes’ or “Hartal’ the way other union leaders were doing at the instigation of their political masters (mostly Awami leaning workers’ union), but the BR trade union leaders are famous for ‘stealing’ or help stealing railway’s properties, both movable and immovable (like land).

Now that the luxurious Bus and Steamer services have eaten away a big chunk of ‘captive’ customers of BR, their management started feeling the heat and trying to go for efficiency and productive mantras. There are still hopes in BR that with better Human Resources Management, this white elephant may come back to life and serve the nation and its people.