Travel Ticket Examiner (TTE) of Sundarban Express Shafiqul Islam has been found not guilty by the probe committee launched over the much-talked-about incident of fining three passengers for travelling without tickets.

The committee has declared Shafiqul Islam completely innocent as they did not find any evidence of misconduct against him.

The 40-page report was submitted at Pakshi Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Shahidul Islam’s office at around 11:20am on Monday.

DRM Shahidul said the guard of the train, Shariful Islam tricked Imrul Kayes Pranto, the relative of the railways minister, who was riding the Sundarban Expres without a ticket to file a complaint against TTE Shafiqul Islam.

The probe committee, led by Railway Assistant Transport Officer Sajedul Islam Babu, was formed by the Pakshi Railway Divisional Office. 

Shafiqul on May 4 fined three passengers, who had introduced themselves as relatives of Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan, for travelling without tickets.

Pakshi Divisional Commercial Officer Nasir Uddin ordered Shafiqul’s suspension the next day.

The suspension of the TTE, in which the railway minister’s wife reportedly had a role, triggered widespread criticism on social media.

Talking to reporters on May 7, the minister denied that the ticketless travellers were his relatives. However, he changed his statement a day later.

The minister said he had just come to know that those who had been fined were relatives of his wife.

Following protest from different quarters, TTE Shafiqul Islam returned to his office on May 10 and collected around Tk9,000 in fines in just a few hours after resuming work.