Allegations of irregularities were raised regarding the land management at Dinajpur railway station, where the shops that were supposed to be on the station platform, within the area of the traffic section of the railway department, were illegally moved to the state-owned area outside the station by the railway department itself.
The illegal relocation of the shops outside the station, where the vehicles that bring passengers to the station, is causing severe traffic congestion in the area. Significant portion of the area, which was supposed to be used for parking of vehicles, is blocked by the shops, causing suffering to both the vehicle drivers and passengers.
The senior officials of Bangladesh Railway are avoiding the subject when asked about it and referring to other officials to inquire about the matter. The Dinajpur railway station was scheduled for remodeling in 2020, which included the elevation of the platform. For that reason, the shops in platform 2 of Dinjapur railway station were moved outside and were set beside the wall of the station office and in the parking area, disregarding the regulation. This setup further reduced the already limited external space of the platform, causing severe inconvenience for passengers arriving and departing with vehicles. Sources from the railway department said the shops in the railway traffic area have been illegally relocated to the outer section of Dinajpur Railway Station without any permission. Local business owners alleged that no lease agreements were made in the process, which is a direct violation of railway laws and regulations. There are also allegations that some influential local railway officials are directly involved in this corruption.
The senior officials of the railway department are silent about it. Senior officials such as Sujid Kumar Bishwas, Chief Commercial Manager (CCM) of Bangldesh Railway Rajshahi office, Lalmonirhat Divisional Commercial Officer (DCO) and Divisional Traffic Officer (DTO) Abdullah Al Mamun, Divisional Estate Officer Purnendu Deb and Assistant Estate Officer MA Razzak did not give any clear answer regarding the issue.
When Station Master Shukhan Pukur and Acting Station Superintendent ABM Ziaul were asked about the problem, they said that the shops were moved ouside the station by the order of the Chief Commercial Manager of Bangldesh Railway Rajshahi office.
Chief Commercial Manager Sujid Kumar Bishwas said the shops were moved outside for the remodeling of the station. When he was asked whether any discussion or contract were made about setting the shops of the traffic-commercial department in the state area of the railway department, he asked to speak with Divisional Commercial Officer (DCO) and Divisional Traffic Officer (DTO) Abdullah Al Mamun regarding the matter.
However, when this correspondent called Abdullah Al Mamun, a woman answered the phone and said ‘sir is currently outside.’
When Divisional Estate Officer (DEO) Purnendu Deb was called on his phone, he did not answer it.
Meanwhile, Assistant Estate Officer MA Razzak said no contract of any kind was made with the estate department regarding establishment of the shops outside the station.
The shop owners said despite having valid documents, we did not receive a satisfactory answer as to why our shops were relocated elsewhere. This is clearly corruption and abuse of power. They also said that they seek justice and that this misuse of railway property must be stopped.
The analysts, commenting about the issues of irregularities and misuse of power, said the irregularities in the railway system must be investigated, and legal action should be taken against those who are responsible for this. Such misuse of government property not only harms railway revenue but also severely undermines public interest.
