Around 20-foot stretch of railway track was deliberately removed away by the saboteurs leading to the derailment of a passenger train in Gazipur early Wednesday on the second day of blockade enforced by BNP and its allies.
As the Dhaka-bound Mohanganj Express was derailed, many of its compartments skidded off the track leaving at least one passenger dead and scores others injured.
Immediately after the accident, train service on the Dhaka-Mymensingh route was suspended. Railway authorities later resumed service through an alternative route via Tongi.
Such type sabotage has been carried out allegedly by the terrors of BNP and Jamaat as part of an attempt of throwing the railway sector, the safer and biggest communication system in the country, in danger.
Saboteurs not only removed the railway track in Gazipur on Wednesday, they carried out around 30 attacks on the railway sectors in different times earlier during the blockade and hartal programmes, while around 300 vehicles, including buses, trucks and ambulances, were also torched.
Anwar Hossain, Superintendent of Dhaka Railway Police, said, "The subversive activity was carried out just to cause harm to the train passengers and damage government property. We think pro-blockade supporters did it," he told reporters on the spot.
"We will be able to identify and arrest those involved in the incident," he said, adding that apart from railway police, district police and intelligence wings were also working in this regard.
Abul Fateh Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, deputy commissioner of Gazipur district, also termed the incident as a complete sabotage act.
Police and district administration officials said they recovered two gas cylinders which were used to power gas cutters to sever the section of the track.
However, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also admitted that it was definitely an act of sabotage.
Meanwhile, different sources said, BNP-Jamaat terrors have intensified deadly sabotage targeting the happy train journey in a bid to collapse country’s vital and comparatively safer and cheaper communication system ahead of the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election slated for January 7, 2024.
In the circumstances, common people urged the authorities concerned to take stern action to ensure the country’s communication system secured.
Md Kamrul Ahsan, Director General of Bangladesh Railway said over phone that they are going to deploy additional 2,700 members of Ansar battalion to ensure the railway sector secured.
“Ansar personnel will be deployed inside the compartments and also on the railway tracks to make train journey safer”, he said.
Responding to a question, the boss of Bangladesh Railway, however, held the manpower shortage responsible for their failure to secure the railway sector.
“At present there are only 20,000 staffs for around 4,000 kilometers rail line across the country. There are manpower shortages of 27,000 staffs”, he said.
According to the communication experts, despite seven coaches of the Mohanganj Express derailing at Chilai river bridge of Gazipur, the casualties were kept to a minimum due to the low speed of the train at the time.
Passengers recounted the 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 highlighted that the incident occurred 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. The train was moving slowly due to dense fog. He woke up to a sudden loud noise and witnessed several coaches lying on the low ground. Passengers managed to escape through windows, avoiding more serious injuries.
Witnesses emphasized that the low speed of the train played a crucial role in minimizing casualties. The deceased, Aslam, was sitting in the middle of the engine compartment.
A five-member investigation committee, led by Additional District Magistrate Humayun Kabir was formed to examine the incident. The committee is expected to submit its report within the next three working days.
Authorities have identified 632 locations across the country as vulnerable between railways and railway installations following an increase in vandalism and arson during the blockade.
On December 2, BNP-Jamaat miscreants removed nuts and bolts from Cox’s Bazar-Dhaka rail line in Ramu upazila, causing almost half-an-hour delay of the Cox’s Bazar Express train in leaving the Cox’s Bazar station.
They set fire to a train standing at Ishwardi Junction Railway Station in Pabna on November 27.
BNP-Jamaat activists set on fire to a coach of the intercity Upaban Express, which was parked at Sylhet railway station around 9:30pm on November 22.
On November 22, Police foiled a sabotage attempt of BNP-Jamaat to derail a train in Fatullah on Dhaka-Narayanganj route.
BNP-Jamaat supporters attached a heavy iron plate to the rail line at Kotolerbagh in an attempt to derail the train. On information, police rushed to the spot and removed the iron plate from the rail line.
On November 19, opposition supporters set fire to two compartments of the Jamuna Express train, which was stationed at Jamalpur's Sarishabari railway station.
On November 16, they also set fire to the railway line in Dinajpur’s Birampur upazila.
November 13, BNP-Jamaat activist set ablaze the five railway sleepers over the Golaghat (Matikata) river in Sreepur upazila of Gazipur on the Dhaka-Mymensingh railway.
On November 6, Jamaat-Shibir activists protested by burning tires on the Dhaka-Mymensingh railway. They also set fire to Dhirasram area between Joydebpur-Tongi station.
Pro- BNP-Jamaat attackers hurled a crude bomb at the Maitree Express train near Ishwardi junction in Pabna, resulting in damage to a window of the train compartment on November 1.
According to railway sources, 263 trains are currently plying across the country. 850 people are employed as Locomaster, Assistant Locomaster and Sub Locomaster in operating these trains.
During the deadly BNP-Jamaat anarchies in 2013 and 2014, rail communications across the country was seriously been affected during their political programs like shutdowns and blockades.
At least 100 passengers were injured as six compartments of a train was derailed near Burichang Rail Station in Cumilla as BNP-Jamaat activists had removed fish plates from the track.
The rail link of Dhaka with Chittagong and Sylhet was also halted as BNP-Jamaat caders set fire to fish plates at Pahartali area in Chittagong.
Rail link of Rajshahi with Dhaka and Khulna were also temporarily suspended because of the derailment of Dhumketu Express.
An engine and five compartments of the train was derailed as BNP-Jamaat supporters removed fish plates from the railway tracks at Charghat in Rajshahi.
BNP-Jamaat cadres had torched two compartments of a train at Noldanga station of Natore district.
The opposition activists set fire to two compartments of Rajshahi-bound ‘Uttara Express’ leaving several people injured.
In capital Dhaka, Juba Dal cadres blocked rail line at Karwanbazar setting fire to slippers.
