Ishwardi Junction is in security threat
Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
Repeated sabotage attempts are being made at Ishwardi rail junction. Finally, on November 27, at around 8:30 p.m., there was a fire incident in the train compartment at the washfit of the railway yard.
In this, 11 seats of coach number 5551 were burnt. Earlier, the security system of the station was questioned in the case of throwing petrol bombs on the Maitri Express train, recovering bombs from under the train at the station and setting fire to the railway line at the railway gate.
Although there have been several attempts at sabotage, no one has been arrested yet. Although there is no loss of life and property in these incidents, ordinary passengers are terrified.
Officials of the administration, Pabna district police, DB police expressed their anger at the railway yard on Monday night regarding the weakness of the security system.
They blamed the indifference of Pakshi Divisional officials of the Railways to strengthen security despite repeated sabotage attempts at Ishwardi Junction.
Railway Police and Railway Security Force are inadequately manned to provide security at the biggest junction station of Western Railway.
17 CC cameras of the station are broken. There are no CCTV cameras in the yard. As a result, it becomes difficult to identify criminals.
It is reported that under Pakshi Divisional Railway, about 40 trains run over Ishwardi Junction every day.
About 20 thousand passengers are transported in these trains. There are vast rail yards at the north and south ends of the station.
A large number of passenger and freight coaches are always standing in the railway yard. Railway yards are busy due to loading and unloading of domestic goods besides imported goods from neighboring countries.
There are locomotives and railway carriages. Everything needs to be strengthened. Moreover, incidents of stone pelting on trains happen frequently.
Station in-charge Superintendent (SS) Mohiul Islam blamed the railway security forces for the fire in the train compartment and said that if they had performed their duties properly, such an incident would not have happened.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Subir Kumar Das expressed his anger because the CCTV camera was damaged and said that it is unfortunate that there is no CCTV camera at the important and largest junction station of the country. If there were, criminals could be easily identified.
Pabna Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration) Masud Alam said, though these incidents are under the jurisdiction of Railway Police, Pabna District Police is keen to ensure overall security.
Sahab Uddin, Superintendent of Police of Railway Police, Pakshi, said that the security of the railway yard is the responsibility of the railway security force.
Ishwardi railway station extends to Abdulpur station on Parbatipur route, Haryana station on Rajshahi route, Dhallachar station in Pabna, Majhgram station on Sirajganj route and Pakshi station on Khulna route.
In addition to the railyard, the railway police have to perform escort duties in four or five trains.
There are only 50 sanctioned posts in railway police stations including officers and constables. At present 45 people are working.
Railway Security Force (RNB) Ishwardi Circle Inspector Feroz Ahmed said that it is very difficult to provide security in long empty yards due to lack of manpower.
There are 148 sanctioned posts in general branch in this circle including officer-soldiers but currently 79 posts are vacant. Only five people are being relieved from Pakshi Reserve against vacant posts. 18 people are working in intelligence wing of RNB and 21 people are working in arms wing.
Stating that the weapons patrol party consisting of General and Arms Branch members has been formed in the situation of Ratal-blockade, he said that the RNB is carrying out the security of the huge railway yard of Ishwardi and the said railway area with a very small number of members.
