A major train accident was narrowly avoided early Monday morning when the Dhaka-bound Agnibina Express derailed in the Jonomjoy area, approximately one kilometer from Gafargaon station.
The incident, which occurred at approximately 5:15 AM, involved the engine and two passenger coaches sliding off the rails. According to Gafargaon Station Master Md Hanif, the derailment was a deliberate act of sabotage. Railway security officials discovered that 20 feet of track had been removed by miscreants prior to the train's arrival.
The sabotage appears linked to escalating local political unrest. Since Saturday, supporters of local leaders have been protesting the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) nomination of Akhtaruzzaman Bachchu for the Mymensingh-10 constituency. These demonstrations have recently devolved into Rail blockades disrupting travel, Acts of arson targeting infrastructure, Vandalism of railway property.
Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported among the passengers. The Railway Security Force has secured the perimeter, and emergency engineering crews are currently on-site to repair the 20-foot gap and salvage the derailed coaches.
Train services on the Mymensingh-Dhaka route remain temporarily suspended while restoration work is underway.
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