5,000 sued, 20 held, 1 more body identified

Six cases were filed and 20 persons were arrested yesterday in connection with the attack on an intercity train and setting it ablaze on Monday nearby a rally venue of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at Soidabad in Sirajganj.
Five persons were killed when the train could not help passing through a crowd that spilled over the railway track from the rally venue.
Meanwhile, identity of another deceased was found as Nurunnabi, of Belkuli village under Kamarkhand upazila in the district, taking the death toll to six.
The cases were filed with Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge (west) Police Station and Government Railway Police (GRP) Station accusing at least five thousand people mentioning the name of 39 persons, including district BNP general secretary Mokaddes Ali.
GRP officer-in-charge Bimal Kumar Chakma said rest of the accused persons will be identified and arrested without further delay.
Besides, two probe committees, formed by railway authorities and the deputy commissioner of the district, have started their work.
Both the committees visited the accident spot and the committee, formed by the deputy commissioner, recorded the statement of train driver Raj Gobinda Das.
High officials of Bangladesh Railway including its General Manager Anhar Mahmud visited the accident spot yesterday.
All officials of Soidabad rail gate, who were on duty on that day, were asked to be present at Rajshahi today before their high officials, a railway official said.
The district BNP yesterday hoisted black flag and wore black badge protesting Monday's train incident. Surprisingly, a national flag was hoisted at half-mast at district BNP office at Suhrawardi Road.
Party standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan visited the houses of Shaban Mirza and Surrajjaman, of Hasnabagbati area under Sirajganj Sadar. Both of them were killed in the incident.
He demanded a neutral inquiry into the incident to find out the real cause and asked the government to provide rehabilitation of the family members of Shaban and Surrajjaman.
Mosharraf Hossain, superintendent of police of Sirajganj, yesterday said that they had warned the district BNP general secretary Mokaddes about the meeting venue, as it was very much close to the rail track.
District BNP general secretary Mokaddes Ali, however, denied the allegation, saying that they [police] did not alert us, rather they provided full security of the rally venue for at least three days.
Delwar Hossain Sayedee, ASP of Sirajganj and also a member of a probe committee, last evening told The Daily Star, “We have started the investigation and already recorded the statement of the train driver.”
Police, Rab and fire service department filed three separate cases with Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge (west) Police Station accusing at least two thousand people including Mokaddes.
The cases were filed for creating obstacles to police, Rab and fire brigade while discharging their duties.
Train guards Golam Towhid and JN Mukharjee, and Sub-inspector Sayedur Rahman filed three more cases accusing about three thousand people for vandalising and torching the train, attacking police and train passengers, and looting properties.
Police sources said they would conduct drive to arrest all “culprits” who were responsible for setting the train on fire and attack on law enforcers.
The district BNP general secretary said filing of case is nothing but a blue print of the government.
Sadar police arrested nine people and Jamuna Bridge (west) police arrested another 11 during separate drives that began at about 12:00 midnight yesterday.
Meanwhile, all the bodies of deceased were buried yesterday after holding janaza at their respective areas under Sirajganj district.
BNP HOLDS RALLY IN DHAKA
The main opposition BNP will bring out mourning processions and wear black badges across the country today in protest of Monday's train accident that killed six party men in Sirajganj, party's secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain said yesterday at a rally.
Dewlar said they will also hold a condolence meeting tomorrow at the city's Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) protesting the incident and to commemorate the deceased party men.
BNP held the rally at Muktangan to protest the killing of Baraigram upazila chairman and Natore poura BNP president Sanaullah Noor Babu on Friday.
Delwar demanded immediate arrest of the killers of Babu and due punishment to them.
Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka presided over the meeting, while BNP standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan, barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, joint secretary Amanullah Aman, among others, spoke.
Earlier, BNP held a gayebana janaza at the party's central office at Naya Paltan after Zohr prayers yesterday for the six people killed in the train accident in Sirajganj.