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The Railways Ministry has formed a high-powered committee to review the draft specifications prepared for the procurement of 30 metre-gauge locomotives for Bangladesh Railway.
Headed by Sheikh Moinuddin, special assistant to the chief adviser of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and the Ministry of Railways, the committee has been asked to submit the report within the next 15 working days.
The other members of the committee are: Director General of Bangladesh Railway, the Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) and a professor from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).
Additional Director General (Rolling Stock) of Bangladesh Railway has been appointed as the member secretary of the committee.
The committee also has the authority to co-opt additional members as required, according to an official notification.
The procurement process for the 30 metre-gauge locomotives is currently underway under the "Conversion of Chattogram-Dohazari Meter-Gauge Railway Line into Dual-Gauge" project, being implemented by Bangladesh Railway.
Draft specifications for the procurement have already been prepared by the railway authority.
The Railways Ministry noted that various criticisms and negative discussions have surfaced on social media regarding the draft specifications.
In response and to ensure a transparent and competitive tender process, the ministry has tasked the newly formed committee with thoroughly reviewing the draft specifications and submitting a comprehensive report.
The committee will evaluate the performance, modern technology, fuel efficiency, availability of spare parts, international compatibility and suitability of the proposed locomotives and components for Bangladesh's environment.