Saidpur Railway Station
Goods get damaged for want of shed or warehouse
Goods imported from India being loaded onto a truck at Saidpur Railway Station. Imported goods often get damaged under the open sky as there is no shed or warehouse at the station.Photo: STAR
The importers and exporters are facing trouble in loading and unloading of imported goods at Saidpur railway station as there is no shed or warehouse. Imported goods often get damaged under the open sky. Nilphamari Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) urged the government to construct a warehouse, a shed, and a high platform immediately to save the imported goods from being damaged. In the district, there are about 50 exporters and importers who usually import food grains, pulses, spices and other commodities from India through rail route. Saidpur railway station has direct rail communication with India via Darshana in Chuadanga district. Indian freight trains carry goods to Saidpur almost everyday. The former president of NCCI, Md Sohel Parvez said carrying cost of imported goods in rail route is 20 percent less than that in road. But the businessmen are losing interest in carrying goods through rail route due to lack of adequate infrastructure and other facilities, he said. The site for loading and unloading goods has no shed and there is no warehouse at the station for keeping the goods until they are transported. Even there is no high platform at the site, he added. Importers said they have to carry the goods instantly through trucks after unloading from the Indian rail wagons as there is no shed or warehouse. Sometimes they have to keep the goods under the open sky if they do not get any truck in time or if there is any transport strike or for other reasons, they added. Idris Ali, president of Saidpur Merchants Association, said the railway could earn handsome revenue if the infrastructure and other facilities are improved at the railway station. Railway sources said the terminal of the station was constructed in 1870, which is now too risky to use and fatal accident may occur at any moment. President of NCCI Abdul Wahed Sarkar said importers and businessmen of the district recently submitted a petition to the chief engineer of Western Zone, Bangladesh Railway (BR) demanding improvement of infrastructure and other facilities at the railway station but the authorities are yet to respond. The stationmaster of Saidpur railway station Mozammel Haque said they sent several letters to the commercial officer of Western Zone of BR in this regard.
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