BR bows to BCL demand: 5 Ctg railway men suspended

Bangladesh Railway (BR) has suspended two staffers and three security officials of Chittagong Railway Station following demand by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). The BCL activists had reportedly attacked security officials and staff of BR and vandalised counters during a protest on Wednesday evening which began after they were allegedly denied tickets. An altercation between ruling Awami League’s student activists and railway staffers began around 8pm on Wednesday, witnesses said. At one stage, the BCL men vandalised five ticket counters sending a panic wave in the area. The waiting passengers at the station got panicked and ran helter-skelter for shelter as rowdy students started to beat railway security men and staff leaving many people injured. The situation became normal around 1-and-half-hour after top railway officials announced the temporary suspension of Station Master Abu Jafar, ticket counter No. 2 booking assistant ‘Mohsin, and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel Monir Hossain, ‘Sabbir’, and ‘Hafiz’. East Zone Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) SM Murad Hossain around 9:30pm told reporters that apart from the five, Chittagong GRP Station OC Yeasin Faruq was sent on leave. A five-member investigation committee has been formed to probe the incident, according to a news agency.