A man was killed when the Dhaka-bound Mohanganj Express derailed at the Bankharia (Chilai River) bridge of Gazipur on the Dhaka-Mymensingh railway early Wednesday.
The deceased was Aslam, 35, a chicken trader from Gafargaon upazila of Mymensingh. Aslam’s brother, Mokhsedul, confirmed his identity.
Gazipur Fire Service Deputy Director (DAD) Abdullah Al Arefin said miscreants had snapped the rail line with a cutting torch at some point in the night. As soon as the train, which left Mohanganj at 11pm, reached Bankharia’s Chilai Bridge in Gazipur, seven coaches along with the engine collapsed on the low ground next to the railway track.
The fire service recovered a 12-kg gas cylinder from inside the forest on the side of the railway line.
At around 7:30am, Gazipur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abul Fateh Md Shafiqul Islam, Superintendent of Police (SP) Kazi Shafiqul Alam, and other senior officials of Bangladesh Railway and the fire service visited the spot.
The district administration has formed a five-member committee, and the railway authorities a seven-member committee to investigate the incident. The five-member investigation committee, led by Additional District Magistrate Humayun Kabir, is expected to submit its report within the next three working days.
According to preliminary investigation, it was an act of sabotage, said Dhaka Division Railway Manager Safiqur Rahman.
Abul Fazal, the doctor in charge of the emergency department of Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital in Gazipur, confirmed that one person was killed while 10 others injured in the train accident were brought to the hospital.
Four people were admitted to the hospital, while the rest left after receiving first aid, he added.
Despite seven coaches of the Mohanganj Express derailing, casualties remained at a minimum due to the low speed of the train at the time.
Passengers recounted their horrifying experience as the train overturned after crossing the Rajendrapur railway station in Gazipur.
Nurul Islam, a resident of Purbadhala upazila of Netrakona, was on the train with his wife, heading to Dhaka for work. He said the incident occurred at around 4:30am or 5am, and the passengers realized something was wrong when they heard loud noises.
Rafiqul Islam, another passenger, was in the compartment behind the engine. He said the train was moving slowly due to dense fog, and he woke up to a sudden loud noise and witnessed several coaches lying on the low ground. Passengers managed to escape through the windows, avoiding more serious injuries.
The deceased, Aslam, was sitting in the middle of the engine compartment.
The passengers questioned how such an act was possible and expressed gratitude that the consequences were not more severe.
In response to the incident, train services on the Dhaka-Mymensingh-Dhaka route have been temporarily suspended. However, Bangladesh Railway has implemented route changes to ensure uninterrupted travel for Mymensingh region trains from Dhaka, taking an alternative route via Dhaka-Airport-Tongi-Bhairab-Kishoreganj-Mymensingh.
