Railways Minister Mujibul Haque yesterday said a total of 8,328 ansar members would be deployed to guard 1,042km of high risk points of railways amid growing attacks on rail tracks by opposition activists.
“Bangladesh Railway has identified 1,042km of rail tracks as high risk ones and ansar members will guard that to check acts of sabotage,” he said while briefing reporters at Railway Bhaban after a meeting with kitchen market traders.
“Eight ansar members equipped with sticks, lamps and flags will perform their duties in two shifts at each risky point,” said the minister.
Police, government railway police, and railway guards would assist the ansar members, he added.
The minister said an Advance Petrol Train along with a locomotive and a compartment before the departure of any train will leave the station to check the acts of sabotage.
During the briefing, Railway Director General Abu Taher said Bangladesh Railway had suffered a loss of Tk36.5 crore and infrastructural damage due to acts of sabotage and arsons during political shutdowns and blockades over the last 10 months, and added that a total of 22 trains have been torched so far
