Duplex Home, Resort Investment

A source in the Railway Police says Sub-Inspector Dostogir Hossain joined the force as an SI in 2019. He is from Cox’s Bazar Sadar. While posted at Baharchhara Investigation Centre in Ukhia, allegations surfaced that he was involved in drug trafficking. A departmental inquiry was launched, but it did not progress far. He was later transferred to the Chattogram Railway Range on 9 January this year, where he has again been accused of engaging in yaba smuggling.

Investigations and police insiders claim that Dostogir is constructing a duplex house in his home village; the ground floor is reportedly complete. They also say he financed the paving of a local road. In Cox’s Bazar, he is linked to a residential hotel named Sea Shark Resort. Land was initially purchased under his father-in-law’s name, and the hotel was built there. Later, ownership was shifted to his wife, Sayrin Sultana, as a “gift.”

Dostogir, however, denies the allegations. He says the single-storey house in his village was built long ago by his father and that the hotel belongs to his father-in-law as part of family property.

Lack of Monitoring on Trains

Sources say a monthly anti-smuggling task force meeting is held at the Chattogram Divisional Commissioner’s office. Based on the task force’s instructions, scanners were installed at the Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar railway stations to curb drug trafficking. However, according to railway officials, the scanners are not being fully operated due to staffing shortages.

Chattogram Railway DRM Mostafizur Rahman told Prothom Alo that scanning every passenger is not feasible, and checks are carried out mainly on suspicious luggage. Despite that, drugs are still being recovered from trains. An internal probe is underway to determine whether any scanner operators are linked to the smuggling networks.

Further investigation and insider accounts repeat that Dostogir is building a duplex in his village, funding local infrastructure, and is associated with the Sea Shark Resort, which was shifted to his wife’s name after being built on land bought under his in-laws.

Railway police officials admit that weak supervision allows some officers to get involved in drug trafficking, making it difficult to stop narcotics movement by train. A proposal has been sent to the Home Ministry to establish a dedicated railway police station at Cox’s Bazar to strengthen oversight.

Former IGP Nurul Huda told Prothom Alo that any police member found involved in drug crimes must face strict legal consequences, including arrest.