Hospital being built in CRB!

The then Awami League government had taken the initiative to build a private commercial hospital in the CRB area, known as the ‘lungs’ of the port city of Chittagong. The then Awami League government was forced to back down from such an environmentally destructive decision in the face of the movement of people of all classes and professions in Chittagong, regardless of party affiliation. People from all walks of life in Chittagong have protested against the news of the initiative to re-implement the same project. There is severe criticism on social media. They have called for the withdrawal of such an environmentally destructive decision. Otherwise, a tough movement and legal battle have been announced. Protest rallies and human chains have been called for. Raising the question of why the BNP government is going into controversy over a settled issue, the conscious circles of Chittagong have called for it to withdraw from this heinous act.
According to multiple sources, Road Transport and Railways Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam arrived in Chittagong on Saturday (April 18) on a two-day visit. He is scheduled to inspect the proposed hospital site in the CRB (Central Railway Building) area today, Sunday, at 4 pm. As soon as the matter came to light, there was a huge reaction in the conscious circles of Chittagong. Along with criticism on social media, they have called for the protection of CRB. They allege that the railway land behind the hospital will be given to a commercial company. They will build a commercial center here. This will cut down the green trees of CRB and destroy the beautiful natural environment.
Sources said that in July 2021, protests and movements started when the initiative was taken to hand over the project land to the hospital construction company United Enterprise. That movement continued for 15 months. Several socio-cultural organizations including ‘Nagorik Samaj, Chittagong’ and ‘CRB Raksha Mancha’ participated in that movement. Along with this, BNP leaders in Chittagong also held various programs against the hospital. At one stage, ministers of the then Awami League government, members of parliament and leaders of most local political parties took a stand against the construction of the hospital in CRB. In the face of the 480-day-long movement, the Awami League government at one point announced that it would not implement the hospital project in CRB. The movement then ended in November 2022.
Meanwhile, the CRB Raksha Manch announced a human chain in the CRB area at 10 am today. The organization’s convener and liberation war researcher Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman told Our Time that we announced this human chain in immediate response. A bigger program will be announced later. He said, “There is a lot of space for a hospital, why will it be built by destroying the green environment of CRB?” Commenting on the purpose of the commercial organization, he said that their main purpose is to occupy the railway line behind the hospital; they will build a commercial complex there.
The CRB area is located in the Chittagong-9 parliamentary constituency; the local MP here is Abu Sufian, former senior vice-president of the city BNP and convener of the southern district BNP. He had also opposed the hospital in the 2021 movement. Abu Sufian said he is still against the commercial establishment. He said, we have opposed it before; we still do not want a commercial establishment in the name of the hospital.
Although the Railway Minister came to inspect the hospital site, the railway authorities do not know anything about it. Subaktagin, the general manager (GM) of the Eastern Region of the Railways, told our time, I do not know anything about it. He said, the project implementing agency is also not aware of it. Kayes Khalil Khan, general manager (corporate affairs) of United Enterprises and Company Limited, said, I do not know anything about it. However, the railways did not inform us of any decision that the project has been canceled. That may be why the PPP authority and the railways have brought the issue to the fore.

Protests by various organizations:
The Chittagong Civil Society has expressed deep concern over the initiative to set up a hospital project again in the CRB area, known as the lungs of Chittagong. The organization has demanded that the project be permanently canceled. In the face of this organization’s movement, the then Awami League government withdrew from implementing the project.
Environmental organization People’s Voice does not want a hospital in CRB by destroying natural places. BASD (Marxist) has demanded that the plan to build a new facility in the name of a hospital in CRB be stopped. Prominent citizens of the country have issued a statement saying that a mechanical hospital cannot be built in CRB, a natural hospital full of medicinal plants.
The statement makers are – Senior Supreme Court lawyer Manzil Morshed, Ekushey and Bangla Academy medal-winning journalist, poet and essayist Abul Momen, former CUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Mozammel Haque, CDA board member and urban planner and architect Jerina Hossain, architect Subhash Barua.
Human rights organization Bangladesh Human Rights Foundation (BHRF) will legally challenge the initiative to build a hospital or any other infrastructure in the CRB area. The Greater Chittagong Unnayan Sangram Committee said in a statement that the people will stop the construction of a hospital in the CRB.
It is known that after submitting the project proposal in 2012-2013, after scrutiny and selection, the PPP project was approved by Ecnec on February 13 after the CCEA committee meeting on January 28, 2020. On February 23, 2020, the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave final approval to the United Group’s hospital project under PPP in the CRB area. The initial work of the project was stopped due to the Corona situation. When the work was supposed to start in May 2021, people from all walks of life of Chittagong joined this movement.
The project is planned and supported by the Bangladesh Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The executive agency is Bangladesh Railways and will be implemented and managed by ‘United Chittagong Hospital Limited’. The implementation period of the project has been set for 12 years. Under this project, a 100-seat medical college, a 50-seat nursing institute and a 500-bed hospital will be built in two phases. It will cost about Tk 400 crore. After 50 years, the Railways will get full ownership of the project. After that agreement, United Enterprises has paid about Tk 80 crore to the Railways for project development and premium.