Bangladesh Railway contractor secures exclusive station permits amid allegations of political influence
Contractor Anisur Rahman, widely known as Tipu, has secured an exclusive allocation for a commercial space within the Kamalapur Railway Station—a high-security facility where such concessions have historically been denied to all other applicants. The allocation, which bypasses mandatory open tender processes, grants Rahman’s company, Sikdar Construction, 480 square feet of space at the station’s main platform entrance. Although the square footage is limited, the agreement allows for the utilization of an adjacent 12,000-square-foot shaded area, a prime location previously reserved for passenger seating.
As reported by the Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo, the allocation was finalized on June 4 despite clear directives from the Director General of Bangladesh Railways, Afzal Hossain, mandating that all such leases be processed through open, competitive bidding. While other regional railway divisions have complied with this transparency directive, Kamalapur remains a notable exception. In his defense, the Railway Director General stated that the station required a passenger-centric shop and suggested that the decision to award the contract to Rahman was made based on current situational assessments, dismissing questions regarding past refusals as irrelevant.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Rahman’s influence within the railway sector has expanded rapidly during the interim government’s tenure. Internal railway records indicate that between March and June, his firm secured 10 out of 19 contracts issued in the Dhaka division. Beyond the Kamalapur store, he has allegedly gained control over public toilets across several major stations, including those in Sylhet, Brahmanbaria, and Gazipur, without competitive bidding. Furthermore, his wife, Rezwana Rahman, is currently positioned to secure the lease for the Dhaka Airport Railway Station parking lot, a process that has already drawn formal complaints of procedural irregularities from competing bidders.
These developments have sparked allegations of a “syndicate” operating within the railway ministry, with critics noting Rahman’s close associations with influential political figures, including BNP lawmaker Munshi Rafiqul Alam Majnu and State Minister for Railways Habibur Rashid. While Rahman maintains that his relationships are based on long-standing neighborly ties rather than political patronage, observers point to a troubling pattern. Both Majnu and Rashid have denied playing any role in facilitating the contracts, describing the competitive bidding process as transparent and independent.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The situation has drawn sharp criticism from transparency advocates. Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), characterized the arrangement as a clear example of conflicts of interest and policy violation. He expressed concern that such practices within government ministries undermine the broader reform efforts of the interim administration, warning that without intervention, these patterns of influence-peddling will continue to degrade public service delivery at key infrastructure hubs like the Kamalapur station, which serves over 100,000 passengers daily.
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