Flood snaps rail links between Dhaka and four northern districts

Torrential rains and the onrush of upstream water continue to disrupt rail communications between Dhaka and four northern districts.

The train services remained suspended from 11:30am on Sunday as the rail tracks in the district’s Badiyakhali area went under water, according to Abul Kashem, Gaibandha rail station master.

As a result, the rail communications between Dhaka and Gaibandha-Rangpur-Dinajpur and Lalmonirhat have been snapped, he said.

But he could not say when the train services will resume.  "The train traffic has become risky as the sleepers and stones on the track have been displaced by the flood waters. At this moment, it cannot be said when the train services will resume.”  

Over six kilometres of rail tracks from Badiyakhali to Tirumohani railway stations were submerged in flood waters, said Mukul Hossain, a maintenance worker of Gaibandha railway.

“The water was flowing around four to six inches above the track. As a result, the soil, the stones and the sleepers below the rail lines were displaced. "

A visit to the area revealed that different areas of the district were inundated.

The deputy commissioner's residence, police lines, telephone exchange, Fulchhari Upazila Parishad, Fulchhari Upazila Health Complex and several other offices were flooded.

As a result of the continuous rainfall, the Brahmaputra River's water flowed 143 centimeters and Ghaghat’s water 90 centimeters above the danger level on Wednesday, said Gaibandha Water Development Board Executive Engineer Mokhlesur Rahman.