Ctg railway workers lay siege to GM office demanding lease cancellation over cemetery land
They warned that a nationwide railway strike would be called if their demands were not met
Railway workers in Chattogram laid siege to the office of the general manager (GM) in the Central Railway Building (CRB) area this morning (21 October), demanding the cancellation of a lease for constructing an Inland Container Depot (ICD) on land that includes a cemetery, mosque, shrine, and water body in the city's Halishahar.
Protesters claimed the site includes about 450 graves and said no previous railway project had ever occupied religious property.
They later suspended their protest following an assurance from the general manager that the cemetery, mosque, and shrine would not be affected by the lease.
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Around 11am, several hundred workers, their families, and local residents marched to the central office, where police and Railway Security Force personnel blocked their entry.
The demonstrators eventually broke through the barrier, chanting slogans such as "Cancel the lease" and "Save the cemetery, mosque, shrine."
As tensions escalated, police closed the main gate of the GM's office.
The protesters later formed a human chain outside, alleging that the railway authorities had altered the land classification of the centuries-old cemetery and religious structures while signing the lease with a private company.
Labour leaders accused the authorities of attempting to evict the mosque, shrine, and cemetery despite assurances from senior officials.
They warned that a nationwide railway strike would be called if their demands were not met.
Around noon, Railway General Manager (East) Md Shuboktagin held a meeting with a 10-member delegation led by Mujibur Rahman and Jahangir Alam of the Railway Running Staff Union.
Following the meeting, Subuktgin said the cemetery, mosque, and shrine would remain intact, and a committee would visit the site on Wednesday (22 October) to demarcate the areas.
The workers then suspended their protest.
According to railway documents, 21.29 acres of land in Halishahar were leased to Container Company of Bangladesh Limited (CCBL), which later partnered with Saif Powertec.
Protesters alleged that the railway's land management office changed land classifications in the contract to conceal that parts of the leased area include cemetery and mosque land.
