Major leaders of Chattogram City Awami League join Save the CRB movement

Expressing solidarity with the 'Save the CRB' movement which has taken shape as a citizen's movement, major leaders of the ruling Awami League in Chattogram on Sunday, demanded with a rally, that the grounds of the Central Railway Building or CRB be declared a national park.

Organised by the citizen's platform at Satrastar More in Chattogram, Vice President of the City Awami League, Ibrahim Hossain Chowdhury Babul, moderated the rally where former minister and Awami League Presidium Member, Eng Mosharraf Hossain, was the chief guest. 

Eng Mosharraf said he believed the Prime Minister also does not want a hospital here at CRB. He assured he would discuss the issue with the PM at the next parliament session.

Referring to the commitment of the railway minister, Chattogram City Awami League VP Ibrahim Hossain said the time has come to keep the promise as all the people are here.

Former Chairman of the Chattogram Development Authority, Abdus Salam, said the CRB was declared a heritage site during his tenure and that there is a gazette issued by the President to that effect. That's why there is no scope for any kind of commercial building, let alone a hospital.

The railway authorities decided to build a hospital beside the CRB building under a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement on 28 March in 2020. 

As per the agreement, a 500-bed hospital would be erected on the six acres of railway land and a 100-bed hospital of the medical college would be built by United Enterprise. This step of the railway has drawn much criticism and a movement also started on 13 July 2021, demanding cancellation of the project.

But United Enterprise applied to build the Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Health Complex despite the protests. The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust also approved the hospital construction on 27 October last year.