60 ton fishplate disappeared from railway store, probe body formed

Industry Desk: Some 60 tons of iron fishplate, worth Tk about one crore, has been disappeared from the store of PWI office of Bonarpara railway junction in Gaibandha. A probe committee has been formed to investigate the incident.
Bonarpara Railway Police Station OC Tapas Pandit said the Bonapara Railway Engineer’s Department is a reserved area. Members of police and railway department are on guard here day and night. The disappearance of 7,000 fishplates (for use on rail lines) weighing 60 tons from a secured store at the west end of the railway station is a mystery.
Bonarpara railway station manager Khalilur Rahman said Akbar Ali Khan was working as a senior assistant engineer here. There are allegations that he secretly sold a lot of things from the Railway Engineering Department store while working here. He has recently been transferred.
He further said assistant store keeper Deepak Kumar Singh took charge since Akbar Ali was transferred. Abdul Majed, a senior assistant engineer from Bogra, came in as additional charge. Abdul Majed, who is in additional charge, recently came to Bonarpara from Bogra and opened the store. He counted the fishplates when he suspected that there was less in the goods. After counting, he found less than 7,000 pieces of fishplates in the store. Abdul Majed said, “I am here on additional charge. The fishplates might be disappeared during the time of the one who was before me.”
He said, “The disappearance of such a huge quantity of iron fishplates from the railway store seems mysterious at the moment. Because members of police and Ansar remain on guard all the time. Someone may be involved. The real facts will come out in the investigation.”
Deepak Kumar, who is in charge of the store, will file a case with the Bonarpara police station on August 11, said Abdul Majed. Railway Department Chief Engineer Anwar Hossain said an investigation team has been formed headed by Bogura Divisional Engineer Saidur Rahman. Action will be taken against the culprits after receiving the report.