For nearly 50 years, it was a pang of remorse – one that travelled silently with Mofizul Islam on every train he boarded, and long after he stepped off.
In a modest but powerful act recently, the man from Sreepur upazila in Gazipur decided to settle that past.
Mofizul voluntarily deposited Tk 20,000 to pay for train journeys he had made – mainly from Gazipur to Dhaka and vice versa – for business and personal purposes without tickets since 1978, setting a rare example of honesty.
As the matter weighed on his conscience, he calculated the dues himself and returned what he believed he owed.
Station Master of Sreepur Railway Station Md Saidur Rahman said the money was deposited into the state treasury on April 6.
He added that, under railway regulations, individuals can deposit such outstanding or voluntary payments in this manner.
The gesture has widely been seen as an example of honesty and moral responsibility.