More than 12 killed in arson attacks on six trains since Oct 28
Syed Shemul Parvez :
In the run up to 12th national poll to be held today (Sunday), arson attacks were conducted on six passenger trains killing over a dozen of people across the country.
The fateful incidents could not be checked despite adopting stern measures by the law enforcement agencies.
Many innocent people are becoming victims and losing their lives due to such barbaric torching of various vehicles including passenger bus and train.
As a result, the people of the country are in state of serious panic.
Experts also expressed deep concern as the law enforcement agencies cannot stop such tragic incidents though they are claiming that everything is under control.
Several opposition parties, including BNP, have been waging a one-point movement to prevent the 12th National elections.They have been calling various programs like blockade-hartal since October 28 last year.
Since then, incidents of violence and arson started across the country. Besides, miscreants have created havoc by cutting many railway lines.
On Friday (January 5), miscreants set fire to a train again in the capital. Four people lost their lives.
Benapole Express, an inter-district passenger train, was set ablaze by unidentified miscreants in the Gopibagh area of the capital in the evening, resulting in at least four fatalities and causing injuries to numerous others.
Earlier on 19 December, at least four people including a child were killed as arsonists set fire to the Dhaka-bound Mohanganj Express train in the capital’s Tejgaon Railway station area early morning.
On December 20, another fire incident occurred in the Brahmaputra Express train in the Cantonment area of the capital city.
On December 15, miscreants set fire to Parvatipur-bound Uttara Express train at Joypurhat railway station in the night.
The fire was quickly brought under control by the efforts of train passengers and local fire service personnel. No casualties were reported.
In the early morning of December 13, seven coaches of the Dhaka-bound Mohanganj Express derailed in the area adjacent to Chilai Bridge in Prahalladpur Union of Gazipur’s Sreepur Upazila. The incident took place as the miscreants cut the railway line.
One passenger was killed and several passengers including the train’s locomaster and assistant locomaster were injured in the incident.
On November 27, miscreants set fire to a train near the Ishwardi Railway Junction in Pabna.
Six seats were damaged in the fire, he said.
Earlier, two coaches of the Inter-City Kishoreganj Express train derailed at Gachihata in Katiadi, Kishoreganj, disrupting train services on the Kishoreganj-Bhairab and Kishoreganj-Mymensingh routes.
