Workers try to put the Mahanagar Godhuli Express back on the lines after the train derailed when the Dhaka-Chittagong rail lines were sabotaged allegedly by pickets in Comilla yesterday. Photo: Banglar Chokh Bangladesh Railway is going through a schedule collapse. Over half its trains ran hours late yesterday as alleged pro-blockade pickets continued sabotaging rail lines. On the fifth day of the
BNP-led combine's blockade, there were sporadic incidents of violence across the country and a schoolteacher who was injured on Friday died of his injuries. At least 31 vehicles were torched; 13 of them were in Dhaka, according to fire service and police officials. In Comilla, alleged supporters of the BNP-led 20-party alliance cut off a segment of the rail lines, causing Godhuli Express travelling to Chittagong from Dhaka to derail at Nangalkot around 5:15am. Rail communications between Dhaka and Chittagong and between Chittagong and Sylhet remained snapped until 11:30am. Express trains Mahanagar Pravati, heading for Dhaka from Chittagong, and Mahanagar Godhuli, heading for Chittagong from Dhaka, had to be cancelled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at stations. The locomotive and a carriage of Godhuli went off the lines, said Anwar Hossain, stationmaster of Nangalkot. Advertisement Abul Khayer, driver of the train, said a serious accident was averted as he was doing only 40kmph. The derailment happened just three days after the authorities had decided to beef up security for trains during the non-stop blockade. There were no injuries reported. But on Thursday, at least 50 passengers were hurt as five carriages and the locomotive of a train heading for Chittagong derailed at Kulaura of Moulvibazar after suspected blockaders removed fishplates. On the same day, rail communications in the western zone were disrupted for four hours after “pickets” uprooted lines in Joypurhat. Over half the trains across the country were behind schedule as they were travelling slowly specially at night to avoid falling off the lines due to sabotage. Besides, derailments of trains in the last three days have had an impact on the service and schedule, Syed Zahirul Islam, director (traffic) of Bangladesh Railway, told The Daily Star yesterday. Sixty-two trains were supposed to leave Kamalapur Railway Station in Dhaka. Almost all of them were delayed, Station Master NC Saha told The Daily Star last night. "Trains are leaving with delay of two hours at the minimum and 17 hours at the maximum," he added. Paharika Express, scheduled to leave for Sylhet at 8:15am, left Chittagong Railway Station over 14 hours late and Meghna Express, scheduled to leave for Chandpur at 5:00pm, left around three hours late. Bijoy Express, bound for Mymensingh, departed the station almost 10 hours late. Meanwhile, in a saddening development yesterday, Altaf, 45, headmaster of Bhagabanpur Govt Primary School in Gaibandha, died of his injuries at Rangpur Medical College Hospital. On Friday, the battery-run rickshaw he was travelling on turned turtle whilst trying to escape the wrath of pickets on Gaibandha-Palashbari road in Gaibandha. The fifth day of the indefinite blockade saw sporadic violence in several districts as blockaders clashed with police, torched and vandalised vehicles and exploded crude bombs, to be followed by the arrest of dozens of BNP-Jamaat men. Road communications across the country were disrupted but the number of long-distance buses pressed into service increased yesterday and launch services were normal like the days before. The BNP-led alliance has called hartals in Sirajganj, Patuakhali, Lalmonirhat and Pirojpur for today, protesting party chief Khaleda Zia's “confinement and killings and arrests of its leaders and activists”. In Chapainawabganj, at least three people, including a BGB personnel, were injured when blockaders hurled handmade bombs at a truck convoy in Kansat of Shibganj upazila, police said. Moinul Islam, officer-in-charge of Shibganj Police Station, said the convoy of 11 trucks loaded with imported goods left for their destinations from Sonamasjid Land Port escorted by 10 vehicles of police, Rab and the BGB. When the convoy reached Kansat area around 9:15am, pickets hurled at least 25 crude bombs, injuring a truck helper, an employee of an importer, and a BGB man, he said. Criminals also exploded a crude bomb in front of the home of Chief Judicial Magistrate Mustakinur Rahman in the court area of Chapainawabganj yesterday evening. Judge Mustakinur was at home but none was hurt in the incident. In Moulvibazar, at least two people received burn injuries when criminals set fire to a bus at Kowla area in Kulaura upazila, police said. In Dinajpur, a truck helper was burnt badly when alleged pro-blockade activists of Birganj upazila hurled petrol bombs at his vehicle early yesterday. Victim Abul Kalam, 55, was rushed to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital with 25 percent burns, police and doctors said. Criminals had also torched three more trucks in the district. In the capital, Shafiqul Alam, 35, sustained burn injuries when criminals hurled a petrol bomb on a bus at Kalshi around 8:30pm last night. The victim was being treated at the burn unit of DMCH with injuries on his face. In another incident at Chhuritola area of Bangshal around 11:00pm, rickshaw puller Motaleb, 28, was injured in a crude bomb attack. He received treatment at DMCH. A homemade bomb was also hurled inside the BTV office at Rampura in Dhaka. Ten people were injured in a clash between Awami League and BNP activists at Ramchandrapur Bazar in Hajiganj upazila of Chandpur. At least 10 BNP men were injured during their clash with police in Dhanbandhi area of Sirajganj yesterday. Police also picked up three activists of pro-Jamaat student body Islami Chhatra Shibir in possession of petrol bombs in Pirojpur. There were reports of vandalism, bomb explosions, arson attacks and arrests from Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Satkhira and Bogra.
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