The Ministry of Railways has revived its plan to build a 500-bed hospital and a 100-seat medical college in Chattogram’s historic CRB area. After nearly four years of suspension due to public protests and environmental concerns, Railways Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam of the BNP government is preparing to grant policy approval for the project. According to the minister’s official itinerary, he will visit Chattogram from April 18 to 21 and inspect the proposed site at Goalpahar near CRB on April 19 at 4 p.m.

A senior ministry official confirmed that preparations are underway for the minister’s on-site inspection, after which formal approval is expected. The project was originally planned under a public–private partnership with United Enterprise, which agreed to transfer the facility to the railway authority after 50 years. However, the initiative was halted in 2022 following strong opposition from social, cultural, and professional groups who described CRB as the “lungs” of Chattogram.

News of the project’s revival has reignited debate among residents and environmental activists, who argue that constructing a commercial hospital in CRB would harm its ecological and cultural significance and could trigger renewed public protests.