The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mamunur Rashid

At least 2,500 acres of prime land of Bangladesh Railway are under the occupation of local land grabbers causing the state-run railway to incur a loss of Tk 400 crores yearly. But no Government initiative has yet been taken to recover it.

Chief Estate Officer (West) of the Railway Department Shamsul Alam said, "Around 2,500 acres out of 62,192.71 acres of railway land in the country have been grabbed by the local people. As a result the railway sector has been incurring a loss of huge amount of money every year."

Sources in the railway department told The New Nation yesterday political leaders, armed hoodlums, terrorists and influential leaders of local bodies of the respective areas grabbed the land to serve their own purpose.

The land grabbers either rented these places for establishing slums, kitchen markets, rickshaw stands, shady business establishments and construction of residential buildings for rental purposes. These areas have become the hub of drug dealers and den of anti-social activities.

Previous governments and the railway authority with the help of law enforcers had tried to recover these lands from the illegal occupants, but failed. "During our drive last year we were able to recover only 50 acres of railway land," the railway source said.

Visiting city's Moghbazar, Amtali, Tejkunipara, Kawran Bazar, Khilgaon, Biswa Road and Kamalapur areas this correspondent found that hundreds of make-shift shops, especially tea-stalls and slums have grown up along the railway lines on Bangladesh Railway land. Apart from these, a group of transport leaders at Kawran Bazar are using railway land as truck terminals and rickshaw stands. Along the Malibagh Railway line a group of hoodlums have established vegetable markets. Following such indiscriminate grabbing of railway land, the incidents of accident is taking place frequently under the very nose of the law enforcers.

The Bangladesh Railway has turned into a losing concern following such mismanagement and irregularities for long in the sector. Previous governments had committed to modernize the railway department with a view to make this sector profitable and to ensure smooth journey for the people. But all efforts have gone in vain.

"Not an inch of railway track has been laid since the independence of the country, instead of improving this sector, it is being neglected and the passengers' sufferings are also mounting," a railway official said.