Resistance brews over Rail Minister’s proposed CRB visit

The reported revival of the controversial CRB hospital project has rekindled public discontent in Chattogram, triggering fresh protests to protect the city’s historic green space, which residents affectionally call the “lungs of the city”.

The announcement has triggered a sharp reaction from environmentalists, cultural activists, and citizens who successfully stalled the project two years ago.

Activists have already issued warnings of non-stop protests, reminiscent of the 480-day movement that forced the Sheikh Hasina administration to backpedal on the plan.

The tension escalated following reports that Railways Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam is scheduled to visit the proposed hospital site on Sunday afternoon during his two-day trip to the port city.

In response, the CRB Rakkha Moncho – a group protesting the project -- held an emergency meeting on Friday evening, making the call for a human chain demonstration and protest rally at the site on Sunday afternoon.

"CRB is not just a cultural hub, it is a vital open space and an inseparable part of our heritage. Building a hospital at CRB will be resisted by the people of Chattogram just as it was in the past," said Syed Hasan Maruf Rumi, a key organiser of the movement.

Mahfuzur Rahman, a veteran freedom fighter and coordinator of the platform, expressed outrage, questioning why the project must be situated at CRB when the railway owns ample land elsewhere in the city.

Located near the MA Aziz Stadium, the CRB area is widely regarded as the "lungs" of Chattogram city due to its hilly terrain and century-old rain trees and other plant species. It serves as the city’s primary carbon sink, providing a sanctuary of fresh air in an otherwise congested industrial hub. Beyond its environmental importance, CRB is the cultural "heart" of the city.

The base of the iconic Shirish trees at the seven-road intersection hosts the city’s largest Pahela Baishakh celebrations and various traditional festivals, making it a symbol of secular Bengali identity.

The project, a public-private partnership (PPP) between Bangladesh Railway and United Enterprise and Co Ltd, aims to build a 500-bed hospital and a 100-seat medical college on six acres of land.

The agreement, signed in March 2020, carries a 50-year term with an estimated cost of Tk 4 billion. The project, however, hit a wall in 2021 when relentless protests broke out to oppose it.

After 15 months of agitation, the then-Awami League government assured citizens in November 2022 that the project would not proceed at that location.

Md Moniruzzaman, additional chief engineer of Bangladesh Railway (East), confirmed the minister’s visit but remained tight-lipped about the project's future.

"I know the minister is coming to visit the site, but I do not have details regarding the current status of the project," he said.

United Enterprise said they have not received any official notification that the contract -- for which they have already paid an undisclosed amount in premiums and fees -- has been cancelled.

"The government knows best, we have not had new talks regarding the project lately," said Kayes Khalil Khan, general manager of Corporate Affairs at United Enterprise.

“The agreement was for 50 years. Until today, the government has not officially told us that there will be no hospital there,” he said.

As authorities cleared 20 shops near the proposed site on Thursday, residents and social media users have begun mobilising, vowing that they will not allow any permanent structures to replace the greenery of CRB.