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Rly catering service expires, no new tender


Published : 25 Jan 2023 09:44 PM

Passengers' complaints about the quality of food served in intercity trains are quite old.  They also object to the price of the food provided.  Most of the meals in the trains of Bangladesh Railway are provided by private companies.  Even though these institutions charge low quality food and high prices, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the railways.

 Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government has repeatedly failed in its efforts to bring Bangladesh Railways from a non-profitable institution to a profitable one.  Due to some unscrupulous officers of the railways, the Bangladesh government and the railway ministry are trying hard and the corruption of the Bangladesh railways is not stopping.

CCM department (Chief Commercial Manager) of Bangladesh Railway is renewing the same with the previous contractor syndicate after the expiry of the four-year tender period of the catering service without taking into account the regulations of the Bangladesh Railway.

Bangladesh Railway has faced a huge loss of money.  CCM Manager called Nazmul Islam several times but did not receive calls. According to the rules of Bangladesh Railways, after the expiry of the tender period, a new tender has to be called again, but due to some corrupt employees of the Railway Eastern Region, the catering service of Bangladesh Railway has been renewed with the old contractor syndicate without calling a new tender.

 Subarna Express (SA Corporation), Mohanagar Godhuli & Tuna Express (Sapnil Association) Teesta Express (Jannat Teding) Parabat Express (Pragti Railway Caters) Mohanagar & Vijay Express (Shah Amanat Express) Kalani Express (Morshed) Haor Express (Mahi Consortium) Sonar Bangla (Habib Banijya Bitan), Mohanganj Express (Samir Enterprises), the owner of these contracting companies, repeatedly renews the catering service tenders in exchange of huge amount of money illegally by some corrupt officers of Railway East.

 According to the information, a contractor named Waliur Rahman works through the contractor company and corruption officials of the Railways.  As the quality of the food provided by this syndicate is low, the price of the food is sky high.  Most of the food is stale, many times it has been seen that many passengers get sick after eating this stale food.  A contractor, who did not wish to be named, said, "We have been going for years but we have not received a tender."  But this syndicate is renewing the tenders every time which is totally illegal according to Railway Act.

 Year after year many other contractor firms like us are facing financial loss without even getting a tender, and many contractor firms are forced to close down.  Due to this change in general contractors today, there is a contractor named Waliur Rahman.  It is Waliur Rahman who works through corrupt railway officials and dishonest contractors. The contractor gets the catering tender work with the connivance of Railway CCM officials through 37 percent commission.

 Due to these corrupt employees of the railways and unscrupulous contracting companies, the railway department is facing huge financial loss as well as losing the quality of passenger service.  In order to bring the Railways from a non-profitable organization to a profitable one, swift action must be taken against these corrupt officials and unscrupulous contractors as soon as possible.