At least ten people including four women were injured as miscreants set fire to two compartments of the “Jamuna Express” train, which was parked at Jamalpur's Sarishabari railway station early Sunday.
The incident occurred around 1:15am amid the blockade and hartal program called by the opposition parties including BNP.
Rakibul Hasan, the officer in charge of the fire service's control room, confirmed that the Jamuna Express train was set on fire.
Sarishabari Senior Fire Station Officer Ruhul Amin said that 17 firefighters worked relentlessly to douse the fire set by miscreants in two compartments of the train.
According to local residents, the train reached the station from Dhaka around 1:10am.
Witnesses spotted the fire when it started its journey towards Tarakandi railway station. Later, the train was stopped.
Miscreants set fire to the last compartment of the train, according to witnesses.
Seeing the fire in the train compartment, 10 people including four women jumped off from the train and received injuries.
The injured were admitted to Sarishabari Upazila Health Complex, said Dr Tahman Bithi, medical officer at the facility.
Assistant Master Abdus Salam of Sarishabari Railway Station, said that the fire incident spread panic among the passengers. Two compartments were fully damaged in the fire and another was partially damaged.
Jamalpur Additional Superintendent of Police Sohrab Uddin, Officer-In-Charge (DB) Shahnewaz immediately visited the spot.
Mushfiqur Rahman, OC of the Sarishabari police station said that the policemen were sent to the spot after receiving the information about the train fire incident.
Meanwhile, a case has been filed against 15-20 unidentified people in relation to the incident.
Assistant Station Master Abdus Salam filed the case with Jamalpur Railway Police Station around 7am.
Confirming the news, Jamalpur Railway police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Gulzar Hossain said efforts were underway to arrest those involved in the incident.
When asked, Sarishabari Upazila unit Bangladesh Ansar and VDP trainer Raju Raihan said that 40 Ansar and VDP members have been deployed under Sarishabari Railway only for the security of the railway during the hartal and blockade. They are on duty to guard the railway line from 6am during hartal and blockade.
Earlier on Wednesday, unidentified individuals set fire to a commuter train situated at Tangail railway station. The incident resulted in damage to three coaches of the train.
