Railway land, valued about Tk 1000 crore, has been dispossessed for 30 years in Sirajganj but no effective step has yet been taken to reclaim it.
Influentials have been grabbing the land from Bazar Railway Station to Raipur Railway Station, taking advantage of the railway authorities’ reluctance of it.
Earlier on June 23, Railways Minister Mujibul Haq had promised reclamation of the dispossessed railway land while flagging off Sirajganj Express, an intercity train.
But no reflection of the minister’s promise has yet to be seen.
Rather, the railway land grab has picked up steam after the train directly connecting Sirajganj and Dhaka was introduced on June 23, 2013.
Several railway officials and employees are also involved in the land grab as they have built shops encroaching on the railway land and rented them.
While visiting Bazar Railway Station, our correspondent has found one Babu erecting a tin-shed building blocking part of the entry to the general railway police station there.
One Masud has been running his business there for so long, setting up a boarding house to the south of new building of the railway police station.
Both Babu and Masud have also fenced in several railway land areas.
Asked about this, they say they have enclosed the lands to prevent people from making them dirty with excretion.
Like Masud and Babu, many others have started erecting new structures for doing business, our correspondent has also found.
Asked about this, Inspector of Works Md Asaduzzaman said, “We know about the railway land grab. But what on earth can we do about this when our manpower is so short.”
The general railway police here were notified of the land grab, but they have not yet come with any response, he said.
Officer-in-Charge at Sirajganj General Railway Police station Ali Akbar said, “This is not our duty to reclaim the railway land.”
“We are only vested with the duty to ensure security of the railway and passengers from Ishwardy to Bangabandhu bridge.”
