Allegations have found regarding the theft of railway machinery parts and scrap materials from the Pahartali Carriage and Wagon Workshop in Chattogram.
It is learnt that valuable equipment, iron scraps, and other materials are being regularly smuggled out of the workshop using garbage trucks.
According to multiple railway sources, certain officials and employees inside the workshop are colluding with external gangs. With their assistance, valuable materials are being smuggled out through the factory gate concealed inside garbage trucks.
Though senior railway officials are aware of the issue, no effective measures have been taken, leading to an increase in theft incidents. Despite the long-running theft operation at Pahartali’s Carriage and Wagon Workshop, no strict action has been implemented. However, after the latest theft incident on July 16 (Wednesday), authorities have shown some activity. Still, as the main culprits remain beyond reach, railway insiders believe the crimes are continuing unchecked. This time too, the driver involved has been suspended, while the organized thieves seem poised to escape once again.
Rajib Kumar Deb Nath, Works Manager of the Pahartali Carriage and Wagon Workshop, confirmed both the theft and the suspension of the truck driver.
Established in 1947 over approximately 31 acres of land, the Pahartali Carriage and Wagon Workshop annually handles maintenance and repairs of around 950 passenger coaches and 7,000 freight wagons. Locomotive repairs are conducted every year, while bogie painting is scheduled every alternate year. Regular overhauling of wheels, seats, and other components is performed every three years. This workshop is the key facility for all these tasks, resulting in the accumulation of large quantities of machinery parts and scrap materials. Exploiting this situation, an organized syndicate has been stealing materials year after year, causing railway losses worth crores of taka.
Sources report that garbage trucks carry out waste from the workshop daily, with some trucks smuggling out 500 to 700 kg of materials each trip. This amounts to approximately 5,000 kg per month and nearly 60,000 kg annually. At an average rate of 50 taka per kilogram, this equates to roughly 3 million taka worth of stolen materials each year.
By managing to bribe certain insiders, the syndicate continues its thefts without paying any revenue to the railway.
Khulshi Police Station OC Md. Aftab Hossain confirmed the matter, saying, “Acting on secret information, we recovered certain scrap iron materials from Jasim’s scrap shop at Ambagan Vangapul on July 16 (Wednesday). Railway officials identified the items as railway property. However, no formal case was filed. Instead, a letter was sent claiming the materials were unusable scrap mixed with garbage and too small to separate.”
To shield those involved in the scrap theft, Md. Mosharraf Hossain, SSE (In-Charge, Bogie Shop) at the Pahartali Workshop, wrote to the OC of Khulshi Police Station stating that small unusable nuts, bolts, and scrap pieces are regularly disposed of alongside garbage via authorized pick-up trucks as part of standard procedures, and it’s impossible to separate such items.
Admitting the theft, Divisional Superintendent Md. Mostafizur Rahman said that truck driver Md. Russel has been suspended for his involvement. He assured that legal action will be taken against anyone involved in unethical activities. Relevant departments have already been notified to take departmental actions.
On the gate pass dated July 16, it was recorded that rubbish from various shops was loaded into Truck No. 1056 with driver Md. Russel (ID No. 9310), for disposal outside the factory premises. It was certified that only rubbish was loaded, and no other materials were present. The declaration was signed by Md. Nurul Islam (Fitter-1st Class) and countersigned by Assistant Works Manager Md. Zillur Rahman and SSE (In-Charge, Progress Shop) Linkon Majumdar.
However, the Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNB) disagrees with claims of theft. Md. Shahidullah, Divisional Commandant of RNB Chattogram, stated that the materials recovered were merely small nuts and bolts inadvertently mixed with garbage, as acknowledged by engineers, and RNB bears no responsibility in this matter.
Yet, insiders argue that the materials recovered from the shop clearly indicate they were railway property and could not have been mere rubbish. The scrap recovered by police was not so small as to be mistaken for garbage.
In summary, theft of railway parts and scrap from Pahartali Workshop continues amid official denials and superficial disciplinary actions, allowing the organized thieves to operate freely.
