A Traveling Ticket Examiner (TTE) of a train has been suspended after three relatives of the railway minister were fined for failing to show tickets, sources have said.
The incident took place on Thursday night.
Three passengers boarded an AC berth of Dhaka-bound train from Pabna without tickets.
When Traveling Ticket Examiner (TTE) came, they introduced themselves as relatives of railway minister Nurul Islam Sujan.
TTE Shafiqul Islam fined them for travelling without tickets and they were also removed from the AC berth.
Following the incident, the TTE was given a suspension order over phone and he could not join work on Friday.
Shafiqul Islam is attached with the headquarters of railway’s west zone in Ishwardi.
Shafiqul told Prothom Alo, “When I asked the three passengers to show their tickets, they introduced themselves as relatives of railway minister. They were charged and shifted to non-AC berth. I’ve been temporarily suspended for this offence.”
According to railway sources, three passengers who are nieces of minister’s wife boarded the Sundarbans Express from Ishwardi railway junction station on Thursday.
They were going to Dhaka in an AC cabin without tickets. When TTE wanted to see tickets, they demanded to continue travelling in the AC berth and asked for three tickets of Sholov class (non-AC class).
The TTE charged them the fare of Sholov seats and fined them for travelling without tickets. He also asked the passengers to leave the AC berth. This ensued an altercation between them and the passengers had to leave the AC berth.
Divisional Commercial Officer (DCO) of railway west Nasir Uddin told Prothom Alo that the TTE was not suspended for fining the passengers.
The official also claimed that Shafiqul was suspended for misbehaving and harassing the three passengers.
A show cause notice would be served against the TTE, Nasir Uddin said adding the suspension order might be cancelled if he can come up with satisfactory answer.
The TTE, however, denied the allegation of misbehaviour with the passengers.