S.A.Shofiee, Sylhet :
Several strong syndicates have long been smuggling goods through Sylhet railway station as a safe route to supply drugs and others products to the southern region of the country, while the station has been getting more unsafe for the passengers.
The situation has been going worsen as a section of train attendants, officials of Government Railway Police (GRP), on duty ticket collectors and guards have been helping smugglers to do their business without any fear of law and order by creating a safe zone for them.
Though very often members of Rapid Action Battalion and BGB recover a huge quantity of drugs and smuggled goods by raiding the trains, but they could not stopped the smugglers.
According to sources, the smuggled goods include Indian arms, contraband fencidil, contraband medicines, clothes, steel materials, powder milk, cosmetics, inferior fertiliser, imitation jewelleries and drugs, including heroin, yaba and opium.
The sources said a few persons of rail gate area are the ringleaders of the smuggling syndicate who have established their dominance in the Sylhet railway station area.
Sources alleged that GRP officials helping the smugglers as they pay a very handsome amount to the GRP men every month.
Ataur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Dakshin Surma Police station, refused the allegation against GRP officials.
Local people of the railway station area said the law and order of the area has deteriorated due to the inaction of GRP and police members of Dakshin Surma police station.
They added that just after sun set, vendors of heroin, hemp, fensidil and other drugs begin prowling in the station area, while the pickpockets, thugs and hoodlums also roam around the station in the night and fall on the passengers at the opportune moment to rob them.
