3,025 acres of railway land under illegal occupation: ministry

Ministry's website, however, shows 3,678.83 acres under illegal occupation

Nearly 3,025 acres of Bangladesh Railway land are under illegal occupation, the railways ministry told a parliamentary committee on Monday, presenting figures that differ from those published on its website.

The railway owns 63,072.909 acres, including 3,024.84 acres under illegal occupation, and earned Tk 87.72 crore by leasing out 25,083 acres last fiscal year.

However, the ministry's website, last updated on May 1, 2025, lists 61,860.28 acres of railway land, including 3,678.83 acres under illegal occupation and 14,473.24 acres leased out.

The reason for the discrepancies remains unclear.

The figures were presented at the second meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the railways ministry, chaired by Mohammad Ali Asgar at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

The ministry said eviction drives were continuing, while special committees in Pakshi and Lalmonirhat would identify encroached land within three months and arrange the phased removal of illegal structures.

New estate management software has been introduced to monitor unused land and encroachments. Joint operations with district administrations and police are also planned to address drug-related offences on railway property.

On online ticketing, some committee members proposed releasing 10 percent of intercity train tickets daily instead of making the entire quota available 10 days before departure. They argued that staggered sales could reduce ticket scalping and benefit passengers planning journeys at shorter notice.

The ministry said preparations were complete to invite fresh tenders for an online ticketing operator before its contract with Shohoz expires early next year.

The railways ministry also told the committee that a shortage of metre-gauge locomotives had forced Bangladesh Railway to reduce freight train operations.

According to the progress report presented at the meeting, containers are still being transported regularly between Chattogram port and Dhaka, while fuel and food grains are being carried to other destinations. However, the locomotive shortage has reduced the number of freight trains.

To address the shortage, a development project proposal to procure 30 metre-gauge locomotives has recently been approved, while tenders have been invited for another 30 under an earlier approved project.

The ministry said acquiring all 60 locomotives by 2029 would allow the railway to increase freight services, including the transportation of containers, fuel and food grains, and generate additional revenue.

Procurement of another 20 metre-gauge locomotives under the World Bank's Green Railway project is also being processed.

The ministry further informed the committee that molasses was being transported on a limited scale from Mongla port to Soydabad in Tangail and Joypurhat. However, the railway had received no demand for transporting other goods from Mongla.