Sabotage derails train in Moulvibazar, 50 hurt
At least 50 people were injured in a train derailment as miscreants removed fishplates from rail tracks in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar early today.
Dhaka-Sylhet and Sylhet-Chittagong rail communications were suspended since the derailment of Udayan Express around 3:15am, our Moulvibazar correspondent reports quoting M Shamsul Alam, master of Kulaura Railway Station.
The sabotage took place on the third day of countrywide blockade enforced by BNP-led 20-party alliance over marking the first anniversary of January 5 parliamentary polls, what the alliance labels as “democracy killing day”.
At least 50 passengers of the train were injured after the engine and six carriages of Udayan Express derailed, said Md Jahangir Hossain, a sub-inspector of Kulaura Railway Police.
Sayedur Rahman, assistant director of Bangladesh Railway, endorsed the sabotage to The Daily Star Online and blamed the pro-blockade supporters for the incident.
Salvage trains from Kulaura removed the engine from the tracks until last reported around 11:00am. Another rescue train was heading to the spot from Akhaura, Sayedur said.
SIMILAR SABOTAGE IN JOYPURHAT
Miscreants uprooted about 30-feet of rail tracks in Kuri Bridge area of Jaipurhat Sadar upazila removing pandrol clips and fishplates of the track in a similar sabotage attempt.
Authorities noticed the sabotage around 6:50am and repaired the tracks within two hours, Sayedur Rahman, the railway official, said. “We could avert a major untoward incident.”
Rajshahi-Khulna and Rajshahi-Dhaka rail communication was halted for about two hours.
Saboteurs removed two pandrol clips and 36 fishplates through the area, he said.
Similar sabotage was last seen during the violence during March, April 2013 and the parliamentary elections of January 5, 2014.
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