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Published : 26 Nov 2013, 11:49 AM
The BNP and its allies opposed Monday’s announcement of roadmap to parliament elections and had called for the blockades of road, rail and water transport starting from 6am Tuesday.
Train service on Dhaka-Mymensingh route came at a halt since 10:15pm after several carriages of a Dhaka-bound train veered off the tracks at Rajendrapur in Gazipur.
Inter-city train Haor Express derailed at Shyamganj in Mymensingh when blockade supporters removed fishplates on the tracks.
Blockaders also attacked and torched two trains besides uprooting railway tracks at Kasba in Brahmanbaria.
The railway station and a train were also attacked at Natore and Lalmonirhat’s Mahendranagar, respectively, on Tuesday.
Opposition activists also set rail tracks on fire in Chandpur.
Commuters suffered as trains were stranded in stations for long time due to the halted railway communications.
The acts of sabotage on the railways were similar to those carried out in February by Jamaat-e-Islami supporters following a war crimes tribunal verdict.
Railway's Dhaka Divisional Manager Sarder Shahadat Ali said safety was a priority and so delays were to be expected.
Kamalapur Railway Station Manager Khairul Bashir said trains bound for north and southern regions left the station in the morning.
But the Chittagong-bound trains were delayed due to Monday’s accident in Akhaura, he said.
Gazipur
At least six carriages of a Dhaka-bound train veered off the tracks at Rajendrapur in Gazipur around 10:15pm, halting train service on Dhaka-Mymensingh route.
Tongi Railway Station Master Halimuzzaman told bdnews24.com that Aghnibina Express jumped off the tracks at Tarakandi near Rajendrapur station.
He suspected that the derailment could have been an act of sabotage.
But police were yet to determine the reason and total damages. However, GRP ASI Dadon Mia said five bogies had derailed.
Mymensingh-bound Bhawal Express was called back to Dhaka from Tongi after Aghnibina went off the rail. Trips of Haor Express have also been postponed.
Earlier in the day, blockade supporters had detained the driver of Mohua train and beat him up in Rajendrapur.
The train resumed its journey after police rescued the driver, Joydebpur Railway Junction Master Ziauddin Sarder said.
Mymensingh
At least 20 people were injured as Dhaka-Mohanganj train Haor Express derailed in Shyamganj around 5am after the fishplates were removed.
Gouripur Police Station Hamidul Islam said six carriages of the train had derailed cutting off the train services from Mymensingh to Netrokona.
The injured were hospitalised, he said.
Mymensingh railway traffic Inspector Hamidul Islam Khan told bdnews24.com at least 100 metres of tracks were damaged.
“We are trying but chances are slim that the communications will be back up and running before Wednesday.”
Brahmanbaria
Train services on the Dhaka-Chittagong and Chittagong-Sylhet routes snapped after 7am when opposition activists dismantled sleepers in Brahmanbaria's Kasba.
Train communications resumed around 11.30pm.
They set ablaze Chattala Express in Imambarhi station at Kasba around 10am, leaving one carriage burnt.
Nobody was injured at the time, said Kosba railway Station Master Pranab Kanti Barua.
Kasba police OC Mizanur Rahman said police and the blockaders fought running battles when the law enforcers tried to arrest them.
Chittagong-bound ‘Mahangar Probhati’ remained stranded in Brahmanbaria Station, said Station Master Amrita Lal Sarkar.
Blockade supporters attacked the train and smashed windowpanes around 11am. They also hurled several handmade bombs but those did not explode, he said.
Around 8pm, blockaders attempted to uproot nearly 200 yards of tracks at Kasba’s Chawkbosta a, said Akhaura GRP OC Saiful Islam.
Around 9:30pm, he told bdnews24.com: “Nearly two kilometres of railway tracks from Mandabagh to Imambarhi have been damaged. The repair work is on, but it can’t be said when the communications will resume.”
Brahmanbaria Additional Superintendent of Police Jahidul Islam said blockaders had attempted to set railway tracks on fire from Kalibarhi intersection to rail gate and hurled crude bombs at a DEMU train on Monday night.
Police filed three cases on Tuesday regarding the incidents accusing 263 Opposition supporters including leaders and activists of BNP, Juba Dal and Chhatra Dal.
Lalmonirhat
Train services on Parbatipur-Lalmonirhat route resumed around 8:15pm Tuesday, nearly 13 hours after blockade campaigners vandalised Mahendranagar Station.
Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station Assistant Sub-Inspector Bablu Mia said supporters of BNP and Jamaat supporters vandalised the station around 7am in the morning, crippling the communications on the route.
Station Master Tapan Kumar Das told bdnews24.com that the blockaders first vandalised the station and then took position on the tracks, approximate 200 yards from the station, after being chased by police.
They kept the tracks blocked until around 8pm.
District railway Chief Controller Md Shahidullah said Lalmoni Express stranded at Teesta station all day left for Dhaka right after the blockaders left.
Natore
Natore Railway Station’s telephone communications with other stations were severed since 10am after blockade supporters went berserk in the office room of the Station Master.
Shantahar station police OC Shariful Islam said two Rajshahi-bound trains got stranded at Basudebpur and Shantahar stations afterwards.
Miscreants also exploded several crude bombs at Basudebpur station at the time.
Train service resumed on the route around 5pm after telephone service came back on, said Natore Station Master Aminul Islam.
Gaibandha
Inter-city ‘Korotoa Express’ derailed approximately at 3am Tuesday at Ghuga at Gaibandha’s Gobindaganj Upazila after blockaders uprooted sleepers and pins from the rail tracks.
Mahimaganj Station Master Abdul Jalil said a carriage of the Shantahar-bound train veered off the tracks highly damaging the tracks.
But railway communications on the route resumed around 8am after the tracks were repaired.
Bogra
Three trains were stranded at Bogra for long during the nationwide blockade.
Bogra Railway Station Superintendent Belal Uddin said blockaders stopped the Lalmonirhat-bound ‘Padmarag Express’ at Nasratpur Station around 6am.
Later it left, but was stopped at Altafnagar Station again by the blockaders around 9:30am.
Meanwhile, two more trains also got stuck at Adamdighi and Velurparha stations nearly at the same time, around 10am. They were stranded for hours causing severe suffering to hundreds of passengers.
Pabna
Opposition activists set two trains on fire at Iswardi around 1am, five hours before the blockade started.
Iswardi GRP Station OC Enamul Haque said the miscreants torched three carriages of ‘Sirajganj Express’ and two coaches of a local train.
