Awfully poor security arrangement leaves the infrastructure of West Zone of Bangladesh Railway (BR) as well as its staff and passengers highly vulnerable, especially against the backdrop of recent destructive activities by the activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir.
There are only 737 policemen under the Government Railway Police (GRP) for security of three lakh passengers travelling daily by 110 inter city, mail and local trains plying 1550-kilometre railway tracks, said sources of the West Zone of BR.
There are 220 rail stations in 22 administrative districts under Rangpur, Khulna and Rajshahi divisions in the zone.
Surprisingly, GRP is not provided with fast running trolleys to safeguard the vast tracks network.
Jamaat-Shibir activists during their political agitation in February and March conducted several destructive activities, including setting fire to Bogra railway station in Bogra district, Bamondanga railway station in Gaibandha and three railway coaches of ‘Silk City’ intercity train at Rajshahi station, removing fishplates of railway tracks at different places in Chapainawabganj and Bogra.
Office of the superintendent of GRP in Saidpur railway district, the only office of this kind in West Zone, supervises all the 12 GRP stations and 16 GRP police camps under West Zone.
These are poorly manned and instead of inspectors, less experienced sub inspectors are working as officers in charge at all but one GRP police stations.
There is no GRP station in divisional headquarter Rangpur, strategically important Bogra and busy Natore junction.
Earlier there was a suggestion to set up a GRP station after every 100 kilometres of railway but it was not implemented due to various complexities, sources said.
“GRP is the most neglected unit of Bangladesh police. In many cases unskilled, sick, aged or those who received departmental punishment for gross offences are sent on deputation to serve under the GRP,” said a high GRP officer in West Zone on condition of anonymity.
Most of the GRP stations and barracks are housed in old and shabby buildings and so, often the policemen have to work in unhealthy environment.
When contacted, deputy inspector general (DIG) of GRP Shohrab Hossain said, “In order to strengthen the GRP, a proposal has been submitted to the department concerned of the government with suggestion to create two more GRP districts in Ishwardi of West Zone and Dhaka of East Zone.
The proposal included suggestion to create 100 new posts of GRP officers and appoint 1000 new constables in phases under the railway’s east and west zones.
Source: The Daily Star
