Train service of two trains travelling through Rajshahi has been suspended due to safety concerns amid sabotage fear.
Authorities directed the Rajshahi-Parbatipur Uttara Express and the Ishwardi-Rahanpur commuter train to halt operations on Friday, according to Abdul Awal, an official at the Bangladesh Railway West Zone.
He said the authorities ordered two trains to suspend its services as a precautionary measure.
Among the cancelled trains, Uttara Express departs from Rajshahi at 12:30pm and Parvatipur departs from Parvatipur at 3:30am.
The Ishwardi-Radhanpur commuter train departs from Rahanpur in Chapainawabganj at 1pm every day and leaves Pabna Ishwardi at 5:30am.
Asim Kumar Talukder, General Manager of West Zone of Bangladesh Railway, said there are more sabotage attempts in local trains. Miscreants set fire to a compartment of Uttara Express at Joypurhat on December 17. Some seats in the compartment were burnt.
Police arrest three over train sabotage in Joypurhat
Santahar Railway Police have arrested the three main accused in two separate cases filed over the arson attacks on two trains in Joypurhat, an officer said.
They were arrested from different areas of Joypurhat on Friday morning.
The arrestees were identified as Apu, 24, and Taijul Islam, 26, of Nishipara Mahalla in Joypurhat and Momin, 26, of Rukindipur village in Akkelpur upazila.
Muktar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Santahar Railway Police Station, said a Drutojan express train was set on fire at Panchbibi Railway Station in Joypurhat early on December 4 and an Uttara Express Mail train at Joypurhat Railway Station on December 15. Two separate cases were filed in this regard.
Apu, Taijul and Momin are the masterminds of the two sabotage incidents, said OC Muktar. “They were arrested from Nishipara of Joypurhat and Rukindipur of Akkelpur upazila of the district during a surprise drive in the early hours of Friday.”
All the arrestees are involved in Chhatra Dal politics, according to police.
They are being interrogated at Santahar Railway Police Station, said OC Muktar.
