A bill has been placed at the parliament to recover occupied railway property that has a maximum of seven-year rigorous imprisonment as punishment for defaulters.

Railways Minister Mujibul Haque placed the bill – Railway Property (Unlawful Possession Reclamation) Bill, 2016 – in the Jatiya Sangsad today.

Grabbing and illegal possessions of railway property will be considered as a punishable offence. Law enforcers can arrest defaulters without warrant under the proposed law.

The bill has a provision of maximum 7 years of rigorous jail or fine or both for stealing any kind of railway property as well as occupying such properties illegally.

Abettors will be given five years' rigorous imprisonment or fine or both under the proposed law.

The bill said the Railway Security Force will be able to make arrest without warrant if any officer and member of the force deemed that the very person was involved in cognizable offence under this law.

The cabinet approved the draft of the law on May 2, 2016. The bill was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on railway ministry for scrutiny and report back to the House within 30 days.

Previously, the rail minister had said individuals, private, semi-government, autonomous, religious and educational institutions were occupying 4,391 acres of railway land.

So far, the government has been able to recover over 132 acres of railway land.