Shutting down DTCB activities might interrupt foreign aid in the transport sector fear officials of communication ministry.

"Implementation of metro rail project under Strategic Transport Planning (STP) and 20 year-long multipurpose transport planning for Dhaka would be severely interrupted," said a DTCB official. "World Bank (WB) is expected to fund the projects and if DTCB does not exist WB might lose interest," he added.

In 1997 the government initiated the DUTP funded by World Bank (WB) to develop a traffic system and modernise the overall transport sector in the capital.

WB, at the time imposed the formation of a high-powered board to coordinate and implement DUTP worth Tk. 1,100.

Following WB's condition, the government in 2001 formed the DTCB under the communication ministry after passing a law in parliament.

Since then all DTCB's expenditure including salaries, bonuses of employees were met by DUTP funds and with its expiry DTCB activities have literally come to an end, as the government has not absorbed the board under the revenue sector.

The communication ministry's effort to absorb the board under the revenue sector is still in a limbo as the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) sent back the file three times showing lame excuses said officials of communication ministry.

After approval from the Establishment Ministry, Finance Ministry and Cabinet Division the file was sent to the PM office for the first time in March this year.

But one of the directors at the PMO sent back the file to the ministry raising the question 'What was the reason to establish DTCB?'

"We were surprised at such a question about a board that was formed with a law passed in parliament," said an official of the communication ministry. "In May we sent the file again to the PMO answering the question and this time he raised new questions and returned the file again," the official added.

It is alleged that the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) is opposing DTCB, as they believe it has been interrupting RHD's work.

"Interestingly, the director at the PM's office, Jalaluddin Kadri who sent the file back three times was an engineer at RHD before joining the PM office," said the official.

When contacted Jalaluddin Kadri, who has recently been made Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the establishment ministry, said that he was not interested in making any comments on the matter.

The destinies of 70 different level officials of the board, mostly transport and IT experts remained uncertain.

"We can go back to our old jobs, but what would become of those who joined the DCTB leaving their previous jobs," said an official working in the DTCB on deputation.

When contacted Sadeque Hossain Khoka, mayor of Dhaka City Corporation and the chairman ex-officio of DTCB said there is no reason to be worried.

"The end of DUTP project does not mean the end of DTCB. We are looking for an alternative source for the survival of the board. Moreover, I believe the board would be absorbed under the revenue sector soon," said Khoka.

When contacted, communication minister Nazmul Huda expressed his disappointment over the matter. "I do not find any reason for not absorbing DTCB under revenue sector," he said.

"We had undertaken the procedure to put DTCB under the revenue sector and had it been passed on time there would have been no such crisis," said Huda.