Passenger killed

Priti Das

Considering it a safer mode of transportation, Priti Das and her husband opted a train journey to set off from Chittagong for a four-day trip to Dhaka on this Eid vacation. Tragically, she died on the way yesterday.
A piece of stone thrown by someone towards the moving train had cost the life of the 24-year-old.
Priti, an engineering student of Southern University, was married to Mintu Kumar Das, a banker, a year and a half ago and lived in Agrabad residential area.
Priti and Mintu boarded the Dhaka-bound Turna Nishita Express from Chittagong Railway Station at 11:00pm.
As soon as the train reached Bridge Bhanga area at Bhatiary in Sitakunda upazila, an apple-sized stone rocketed through the window next to Priti and hit her head while she was asleep. She gave out a sudden scream and became unconscious, said Mintu, who was in the next seat.
Mintu and his two friends, who accompanied them on the journey, rushed Priti to the nearby Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex. She was then transferred to Chittagong Medical College Hosptial where doctors declared her dead around 12:30am.
Dilip Das, Priti's father, termed the untimely death of his only daughter as murder.
Many passengers get injured by stones thrown by passers-by at moving trains, but very few of such incidents are reported to the railway authorities however no action is taken against those responsible for such acts, said train commuters.
Ahsan Habib, officer-in-charge of Chittagong Government Railway Police, said they lack adequate manpower to check such crimes.