Fire Breaks Out in Abandoned Train Coach at Chattogram Station

A fire broke out in an abandoned train coach at the SRV railway station in Chattogram’s Banglabazar area on Tuesday afternoon, sparking fresh security concerns among locals.

Railway sources report that this is the third such fire at the station in recent months. While the station is no longer in active use, the 1.9-kilometer site houses valuable railway equipment worth crores of taka. However, the security infrastructure remains critically weak.

Pankaj Debnath, the Railway Security Force officer in charge of the station, blamed a severe manpower shortage for the recurring incidents. "We only had one constable on the morning shift and two in the afternoon. It is impossible to patrol nearly two kilometers of land with just two people," he said.

Debnath further alleged that drug addicts and organized gangs frequently break into the premises to steal equipment. "When they fail to steal anything, they set fires out of spite. They monitor our shift changes and strike when surveillance is lowest," he added.

Despite the station's abandoned status, it lacks a proper boundary wall and consistent patrolling. Local residents expressed frustration, noting that while the media has repeatedly highlighted these security lapses, the railway authorities have yet to take corrective measures.

Residents are now demanding the immediate construction of a perimeter wall and the deployment of adequate security personnel to protect state property and prevent a major disaster.