The much-debated Chittagong's Central Railway Building (CRB) area is likely to be declared as a heritage site as the government has shown no interest in constructing a proposed medical college and hospital in the location, members of the Nagorik Shomaj said.

With the latest development, the Nagorik Shomaj, who were demanding the reservation of the area, are preparing a mass gathering to declare the end of the movement and express gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The agitators indicated that the Awami League's senior leaders will officially inform the public about this at the CRB mass gathering meeting on Saturday.

Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, a member of the Awami League's presidium, will be the chief guest at the mass gathering. Special guests will include Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud, Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, and Chittagong City Corporation Mayor M Rezaul Karim Chowdhury.

Meanwhile, as there is no hospital project in CRB, the Chittagong Nagorik Shomaj demanded that the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib National Park be established there.

Nagorik Shomaj Member Secretary Advocate Ibrahim Hossain Chowdhury Babul said that the prime minister has agreed to the demands of Chittagong citizens. At the November 5 mass gathering, government ministers and senior party leaders will deliver the prime minister's message.

“But our movement will not stop. I will declare adjournment. CRB will host 12 programs per year,” he added.

"We simply want to protect CRB as a heritage, as declared in the President's 2009 gazette. The gazette also specified eight conditions for CRB reservation. As a result, arrangements for butterfly parks, bird sanctuaries, museums, and tourist attractions should be made. According to the gazette, the CRB cannot have any commercial use or multi-storied buildings," he added.

Ibrahim Hossain Chowdhury Babul said: “Nagorik Shomaj has done a non-violent, peaceful environmentalist movement. I'm not sure if there has ever been such a long environmental movement anywhere in the world. Earlier, on August 17, the railway minister assured us that no hospital would be built. On November 5, the official announcement will be made. In this regard, we believe our movement has been successful.”
Dhaka Tribune

The 480-day-long movement to protect CRB will come to an end with the mass gathering on Saturday, he added.

CRB has approximately 225 rare plant species. Surrounded by centuries-old trees, hills, and CRB holds a special place in people's hearts as a place steeped in Bangladesh's history and heritage.

Bengali New Year, Spring Festival, Rabindra-Nazrul Jayanti, and other cultural programs celebrating Bengali history and tradition are held in Sirishtala area.

CRB contains the graves of 11 people who died in the Great Liberation War, including Abdur Rauf, the elected general secretary of Chittagong University at the time.

Earlier, in March 2020, Bangladesh Railway and United Enterprise Ltd signed a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement on the construction of a 500-bed multi-specialized hospital and a 100-seat medical college in the CRB area.

The signing prompted various social and environmental organizations to stage movements to put a stop to the project.

On July 17, residents of Chittagong held processions, a tree plantation program, formed a human chain, and even engaged in other forms of protests all day against the decision.

On August 3, the mayor of Chittagong vowed to resist the planned construction of the hospital in the CRB area, considering it as the port city's hub of natural oxygen.