Hemnagar rly station a sorrow for commuters

Acute manpower crisis has been hampering operational activities at Hemnagar railway station in Gopalpur upazila for the last five years, causing immense sufferings to commuters.              

As a result, furniture of the office rooms and other structures in the station have been lying damaged, said locals, adding that some valuable things were also stolen from there.

Farmers now use the lone railway station for threshing and drying crops during the daytime while the same place becomes a heaven for drug addicts and sex workers at night.

Md Masum Khan, stationmaster of nearby Bangabandhu Bridge East Railway Station, said posts of three stationmasters, three points men, three booking clerks and a fourth-class employee in Hemnagar railway station have been lying vacant for the last five years.

Although three local trains and an intercity train stop at the station, local passengers cannot collect tickets from there for not having any ticket master at the station, said commuters.

Construction of 42 km metre-gauge line stretching from Tarakandi to Bangabandhu Bridge east was completed in 2011. The prime minister inaugurated the rail line the following year.

There are 52 bridges and culverts and four railway stations in the long rail track. The Hemnagar railway station is one them.

There have been no formal activities in Hemnagar railway station since 2015 as its staffers have been transferred to different stations, said local railway sources.

Only one gateman has been performing duty at the railway station for the last five years, it added. 

Despite repeated pleas, the authorities concerned are yet to take any steps to recruit manpower at the station to mitigate train passengers' sufferings, said local commuters.   

Mohammad Kamal Hossain, a schoolteacher of Hemnagar area, said they have to collect tickets from Bhuapur and Sarishabari railway stations, about 10 km to 15 away from Hemnagar.

On the other hand, local passengers feel serious insecurity for not having any security guards at the lonely station, said the schoolteacher.

Shawkat Jamil, divisional manager (east) of Bangladesh Railway, said the posts of stationmasters, points men and booking clerks are lying vacant at Hemnagar railway station for long as its staffers have been transferred to different busy and important stations.

They have already informed the higher authorities about recruitment of manpower at the station, but to no respond yet, he said.