Dhaka: Drives by Bangladesh Railway (BR) against illegal occupation of its lands are proving ineffective as 4,391.39 acres of its lands still remain under occupation, according to latest statistics.

According to BR officials, 922.34 acres of its lands remain occupied by different government, semi-government and autonomous organisations, while 3378.22 acres by private organisations and 90.83 acres by religious and educational institutions.

The eviction drives regularly conducted by the BR are also proving no match to this as the statistics showed that in their drives from 2010 to 2015 the BR has managed to recover only 388.37 acres of its illegally occupied lands.

The BR authorities said grabbers captured its huge lands in Shahjahanpur Railway Colony area in the capital by building houses, garages, Sramik League office, mosques and madrasahs.

The BR is also facing problem to recover its land on its Tongi and Naraynganj routes as huge slum dwellers are living there and several kitchen markets set up in the areas.

The BR lands were also occupied in different areas, including railway colony of Chittagong, Akhaura, Bhoirab, Narsingdi, Mymensingh, Joydebpur and Chandpur railway colony, in different ways, the sources said.

Talking to UNB, BR director general Amzad Hossain said, ‘Basically, three kinds of people have occupied the lands. First, the slum people living on two sides of rail tracks. They have been evicted by law enforces time and again, but to no effect at the end.’

The authorities face similar failure after the eviction of illegal shops and establishments that have been set up beside rail lines, he added.

Besides, politically influential quarters build infrastructures grabbing railway lands, he said.

The BR director general said they are facing many problems such as lack of manpower and unavailability of police force or magistrates to conduct drives.

The eviction has become also tough due to legal complications, he said adding that in many cases Railway’s step to recover its land are delayed when the illegal grabber seeks for court intervention besides the intervention of political and local influential quarters.

BR’s Divisional Estate Officer AKM Nurunnabi Kabir also echoed the BR director general, saying that the eviction drives are complicated due to the interventions by political and local influential quarters.

He also noted that the government is also trying to solve the problems through negotiations with government, non-government and autonomous organisations that have grabbed the BR lands illegally.

Contacted, Railways Minister Mujibul Haque affirmed the government’s tough stance against illegal occupation of Railway lands by politically influential quarters, saying no individual or politician will be allowed to occupy the government lands.

He hopes that most of the lands will be reclaimed during the current government’s tenure.