Just a day after the rail link across the country was restored for the first time in over a week, the biggest acts of sabotage yet carried out on the network killed five passengers in Gaibandha and caused two more derailments in Jessore and Chandpur.
The gravest incident took place around 1am close to Bhurungi bridge near Bonarpara of Gaibandha district. At least five passengers were killed and over 100 injured when Padmaragh Express skidded off the tracks after blockaders removed the fish plates and clips that fix the rails to the sleeper.
Gaibandha Fire Service and Civil Defence Deputy Assistant Director Kobad Ali Sarkar confirmed the death toll.
Kobad, who led the rescue team, said: “Four bodies were found first and during the rescue operation we discovered another inside the train.” Noticing the broken track, the train driver braked hard to stop the vehicle, but five compartments hit one another at the rear at high speed, the officials said.
Witnesses said the train slid off the tracks with a bang near Bhurungi bridge under Bonarpara, Gaibandha.
Angry local people caught two opposition activists Saddam Hossain and Dudu Mia for their alleged act of sabotage and handed them over to police.
“Saddam and Dudu are the activists of the BNP-Jamaat alliance. They were caught red-handed,” said the deputy commissioner.
The deliberate act of sabotage has snapped the rail communication of Lalmonirhat with Dhaka, Bogra and other destinations.
Last week, local people in Jamalganj and Joypurhat saved an inter-city train “Simanto Express” from a major disaster as the blockaders removed the tracks from a bridge on a canal.
The local train “Padmaragh” mainly used by poor people, runs between Lalmonirhat and Shantahar in Bogra district.
The track was yet to be restored at the time of filing this report.
Other accidents
Elsewhere, Sujit Kumar Biswas, divisional traffic officer (Pakishi), told the Dhaka Tribune that three coaches of the Khulna-bound train “Nakshikantha” derailed yesterday around 1am between Noapara and Tejerhat in Jessore.
“It is a clear act of sabotage as they removed fish plates and clips,” he said. Sujit said the communication link had already been restored.
In Chandpur, two coaches and the locomotive of the Chittagong-bound “Meghna Express” derailed around 5:40am near Shahtali in the district.
Some 500 passengers boarded the train that ran between Chandpur and Chittagong.
The passengers destined for Khulna, Barisal, Bhola and other southern districts were stranded there by the opposition-enforced blockade.
The train driver AK Niazi told the Dhaka Tribune Chandpur Correspondent that the blockaders removed the fish plates along 39 feet of tracks.
Maruf Hossain, assistant manager of the Chandpur rail station, said the troublemakers committed the act of sabotage. The communication links are yet to be restored.
Syed Zahurul Islam, director (traffic) of the railway, said many trains fell behind schedule because of the incidents.
Sarder Shahadat Ali, divisional railway manager (Dhaka), told the Dhaka Tribune the drivers had been instructed to drive the trains at low speeds as a precaution.
“Besides, we have been operating trolleys and engines ahead of the trains to detect any sabotage on the track. The trolleys or engines preceding the trains would derail first in case of sabotage,” he said.
The railway witnessed over 200 accidents including 20 big attacks since the BNP-led opposition called a series of blockades protesting the announcement of schedules of the 10th parliamentary polls slated for January 5.
