Several night trains suspended amid fear of attack

FE Team | Published: December 22, 2023 23:36:49

Thousands of passengers have been hit by rail chaos as the Bangladesh Railway has suspended trains on several routes amid fears of sabotage, reports bdnews24.com.
The Uttara Express train from Rajshahi to Parbatipur on Friday night is among the train trips cancelled.
The joint commuter trains on the Dhaka-Narayanganj route have remained suspended since Dec 16.
The railways had blocked the 1 joint local train on the Ishwardi-Rajshahi-Rohonpur route 15 and the 253/254 local trains on the Mymensingh-Bhuapur route from Dec 15.
The inter-city Jamuna Express's route was curtailed on the Dhaka-Tarakanda route. From Dec 15, the train has only been running to Jamalpur.
"The train service has been temporarily suspended due to fears of sabotage amid the current political climate," Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman, the divisional director (Dhaka) for the Bangladesh Railway, told the media at Kamalapur Rail Station on Friday.
"Those train routes are largely in remote areas. We have halted them on a temporary basis because we believe night travel on the routes may be risky."
"Railway security has been strengthened due to recent acts of sabotage and the current political climate. Patrols have been increased in certain locations. Engines and carriages are also conducting advance piloting on different routes."
Concerns about sabotage on trains have heightened since Oct 29 amid arson attacks and sabotage on train lines that have left several dead amid an antigovernment campaign by the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and other like-minded parties.
The deadliest incident occurred on Tuesday when the Mohanganj Express, on its way from Netrokona to Dhaka, was set on fire near the Airport Rail Station. Four people, including a child, lost their lives.
The Mohanganj Express was also the victim of sabotage when damage to the rail line caused several of its carriages to derail. The accident resulted in the death of a man.