Replying to a query of a retired 65-year teacher about advance ticket for September 15, the on duty employees at Santahar Railway Junction in Adamdighi Upazila of Bogura District told him Assistant Commissioner (AC) Land sir needs all tickets.
The teacher Mobarak Ali Sheikh is a retired headmaster of KD High School of Naogaon district town. The on duty employees harshly asked him to leave the counter immediately. He got hurt and returned home without ticket. Later, Mobarak Ali Sheikh uploaded a status in his facebook page, saying he actually needs two tickets for AC compartments. He states that the on duty female employee told him all advance tickets are needed for AC land sir. Calling the on duty female employee as mother, the teacher again requested her to give him only two tickets. The employee became furious and gave away all the tickets to her senior official. The official who was present at the counter also said there would be no benefit to stay here as all tickets have already been sold out.
Talking to media Mohammad Hafizur Rahman, AC (Land), Raninagar Upazila of Naogaon said he purchased three tickets through a person. But the AC first class compartment is equipped with 15 seats. So, the teacher has posed a question about the rest 12 seats. It is alleged that the remaining 12 tickets were sold out in the black market at high rate.
The corrupt officials and employees
who loot public money and harass
passengers must be dealt with iron
hand and brought to book immediately
This not only a lone story of a teacher or Santahar railway station but same grim scenario is prevailing in all stations across the country. People from all walks of life several times staged protest and demonstration against irregularities and corruption in the country’s rail administration and demanded an end to passenger harassment and mismanagement. They also sought Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention to put an end to passengers’ suffering and ensure equal opportunity for everyone in purchasing tickets online or offline.
Though Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina several times expressed her firm determination to build a graft-free administration in the country, asking the government officials and employees to undertake their own plan on ‘shuddhachar’ (integrity) and implement it effectively, many dishonest and greedy officials and employees of railway sector are still indulged in corruptions, irregularities and other immoral activities.
Organised gang of thugs in association with a section of officials and staffs are engaged in harassing and humiliating the passengers in many ways at all stations across the country every day. If the government wants to free railway sector from corruption and mismanagement, at first its officials and employees have to be honest, accountable and transparent. In this regard, the corrupt officials and employees who loot public money and harass passengers must be dealt with iron hand and brought to book immediately.
