The arguments in favour of the reform of the BR are clearly spelled out in the opening remarks by Dr Christine Wallich, the WB Country Director. Her arguments can be summarised into three key sets of issues. First issue revolves around the question of management. In this she recommends that the BR turns into a corporate entity, while the Government of Bangladesh retains ownership. Second issue relates to the question of the modernisation of the system including online ticketing arrangements and procurement of rolling stocks. Another line argument is that the railway is environment-friendly, precisely because it generates less fuel-based pollution. Probably in the context of such conviction on environmental sustainability, which is consistent with national and global goal for sustainable development, the reform agenda also includes extension of networks in the areas still without railways.

While there is hardly any doubt about the importance of the right management and modernisation of the BR, one tends to believe that the assertion on environmental sustainability of the railway needs serious re-examination. Exactly how environment-friendly is the railway, if we reasonably consider that there are more of environmental problems beyond air pollution? Do a few more wagons stop the fuel-run vehicles in the cities? To what extent do the railway competes with traditional air-polluting vehicles? If the railway had to have a part in this, we needed to extend our railway system to every nook and corner of the country. But the problem lies precisely there. It is not that it is impossible, but that in a deltaic country like Bangladesh, it is the impact of the confrontation of the railway embankments and the water regime which is of central concern.

If historical data is analysed, we would find that it was the railway embankments which have done the most harm to the water system of Bangladesh. For an instance, it would perhaps not be an exaggeration to state that the Chalan Beel, where as late as 1945 forty-seven small and large rivers drained, deteriorated because of the surrounding railways. One of such lines, Sara-Sirajganj line, passed close to the Beel and thus obstructed its flush water which tended to escape to the Jamuna/Brahmaputra; the result of this interruption was the speedy silting up of the beel and the consequent reduction of its water-holding capacity. This reduction was one of the factors underlying the frequent flooding following the construction of the Sara-Sirajganj Railway. There are many other instances which show that railway directly confronted the water system of the Delta and this led to a whole range of problems affecting agricultural production and social well-being.

In general, the related problems in colonial as well as post-colonial periods have been the small and inadequate outlets for running water through the embankments. Mouths of many small streams and natural khals have been closed for the facilitation of the railway lines. The wetland through which the railway runs remains still unexamined as to the impact of the railway embankments. More pertinent fact is that railway has been essentially a colonial phenomenon in this part of the world. In the Bengal Delta it has, from the very beginning, run east to west in order to carry raw materials from Bangladesh hinterland to Kolkata port, but in this way it has also crossed with the river systems of the Delta that run north to south. Thus the railway has served the colonial political economy at the cost of ecological viability of the water regime of Bangladesh. The speed of the railway construction, however, slowed down in the wake of debates on the negative impacts on environment or perhaps on the ground of non-feasibility as evidenced in the lack of colonial interest in introducing new railway in Barisal and Dhaka-Aricha route. Of about 2800 kilometres of railway in Bangladesh, there has been less than 200 miles of railway that was constructed in Pakistan period, and even lesser in Bangladesh period.

Has the decline in the construction of the railways by the succeeding governments in late colonial and postcolonial periods been informed by environmental consideration? If such assumption is even partially true then we perhaps need more research on the question of ecological sustainability of the railway before having more railway lines. At the moment three policy suggestions can be made. First, no new lines should be constructed. The 3 July seminar on the railway reforms has considered new railway lines in Barisal and Dhaka-Aricha routes. To do so would be a gravely wrong policy. It will complicate the situation of water logging and flooding which have already been aggravated because of the highway embankments with inadequate outlets. Secondly, if possible, some railway lines across the country that are remarkably causing flood and thereby damaging standing crops should be removed. Thirdly, we should concentrate more on redeveloping our lost and existing inland waterways. If done properly the development of inland waterways, including rivers, small streams, khals, beels and baor, will not only serve the purpose of transport, but will also lessen the problem of flash flood and river bank erosion.

The inevitable question is that in this age of broadband speed, do we really want to go for the slower and more tedious mode of water-based transport? Certainly we should, if we do care about our water system and its various services toward human well-being. I am sure the World Bank itself would also agree to this, for it is actively supporting India to develop its inland waterways. If it can support India in developing its waterways it can certainly do so for Bangladesh waterways. It may, therefore, be suggested that of the proposed $800 million, a portion can be used for improving management and modernisation of the BR. The money saved by not constructing new lines can be spent on improving Bangladesh's inland water system. The simultaneous development of the inland water system in India and Bangladesh may lead to closer trade relations and no doubt that would be eco-friendlier.

Dr Iftekhar Iqbal is a faculty at the Department of Social Sciences, East West University, Dhaka. He may be reached at: k.i.iqbal.01@cantab.net