Ministry of Railways

ministry · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head: Habibur Rashid Habib
Role: State Minister
Annual budget: ৳1,194,400,000,000
Staff: 47637
Established: 2011
Legal basis: The Railways Act, 1890 (Act No. IX of 1890); Allocation of Business Rules (Government of Bangladesh); Ministry carved out of Ministry of Communication in 2011.

Executing a five-pronged railway reform agenda: reorganising BR's management structure for profitability, rolling out the Tk 2,028.59 crore western-zone track rehabilitation, planning a new Mymensingh intercity train by December 2026, prioritising Sylhet meter-gauge upgrades, and managing Eid-ul-Azha service expansion with 13 special trains while assessing private-sector participation in operations.

Recent activity

2026-02-17 appointment Habibur Rashid Habib (BNP, Dhaka-9) sworn in as State Minister for Railways and Road Transport and Highways Division under PM Tarique Rahman's cabinet. ↗↗
2026-02-19 reform State Minister announced comprehensive reorganisation plan for Bangladesh Railway, aiming to convert it into a modern, profitable, and service-oriented institution through infrastructure development, technology-driven management, anti-corruption measures, and improved passenger services. ↗↗
2026-03-15 statement State Minister Habibur Rashid visited Kamalapur Railway Station and warned that strict measures will be taken against negligence; directed officials to intensify field-level supervision and announced plans for improved passenger facilities including waiting rooms, toilets, and digital service upgrades. ↗↗
2026-04-01 other A fuel-laden train derailed at Montola Railway Station in Madhabpur, Habiganj, disrupting all rail links between Sylhet and the rest of the country for more than 14 hours; services on Sylhet-Dhaka and Sylhet-Chattogram routes cancelled including Upaban Express, Udayan Express, and Paharika Express. ↗↗
2026-04-22 statement State Minister told the press the government is considering private sector participation in railway operations to improve services, citing examples from other countries; no final decision announced. ↗↗
2026-04-26 reform Minister informed Jatiya Sangsad that Bangladesh Railway is undergoing modernization including special safety instructions for non-interlocked stations, intensified rolling stock inspection, hotline 131 call centre, expanded Rail Sheba app ticketing, and phased station remodelling across all district-level stations. ↗↗
2026-05-08 policy Bangladesh Railway announced 13 special trains for Eid-ul-Azha: 10 passenger specials on Chattogram-Chandpur, Dhaka-Dewanganj, and Joydebpur-Parbatipur routes, and 3 cattle specials on Dewanganj-Dhaka and Islampur-Dhaka routes; weekly off-days for all intercity trains suspended from May 23 through Eid eve. ↗↗
2026-05-09 statement State Minister Habibur Rashid visited Sylhet and stated government is prioritising improvement of rail connectivity in Sylhet; acknowledged meter-gauge single-line track constraints causing schedule disruptions from locomotive shortages and asked railway officials to conduct regular field visits to monitor service conditions. ↗↗
2026-05-12 procurement ECNEC approved 'Maintenance and Rehabilitation of Railway Tracks in the Western Zone of Bangladesh Railway (1st Phase)' at Tk 2,028.59 crore, entirely from government resources, covering ~500 km of track across Joydebpur-Ibrahimabad, Ishwardi-Saidpur, Santahar-Joypurhat, Abdulpur-Rajshahi Court, and other corridors; implementation by February 2031. ↗↗
2026-05-14 statement State Minister visited Mymensingh Railway Station and proposed site for a bailey bridge at Kacharighat; announced an intercity train service from Mymensingh (either Mymensingh-Dhaka or Mymensingh-Sylhet route) by December 2026, resumption of suspended Mohanganj service, and plans to modernise the station with improved passenger facilities and three road overpasses or underpasses across the city. ↗↗

Provenance & notes

Ministry of Railways was carved out of the former Ministry of Communication in 2011 as a standalone ministry. The current_head is Habibur Rashid Habib, holding the rank of State Minister (not full Minister); the full minister portfolio for railways sits under PM Tarique Rahman (who retains several ministries). staff_count field records the sanctioned position ceiling of 47,637 (Bangladesh Railway organogram); actual filled posts are approximately 24,400 as of 2024, leaving ~23,200 vacancies. The annual_budget_bdt figure of 1,194,400,000,000 (Tk 11,944 crore) is the FY2025-26 total demand-for-grants allocation proposed in the budget speech; the ADP-only component is Tk 7,714.99 crore. The 'Sylhet station visit warnings' in recent_activity is captured via the May 9 field visit where the minister publicly warned officials about negligence and schedule disruptions. The April 1 Sylhet derailment (fuel train at Montola) is the safety incident tied to this cluster of activity. Verification based on 2+ primary sources for all key claims.

Ministry of Railways

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Recent activity

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