While the government and private offices may start in full swing today (July 28) after a relaxation of the curfew, the railway authority is yet to decide on resuming the passenger train operation.
“We have not made any decision over passenger train operation till today. We will operate once we find the railway is safe for the passengers. It may take time. Now we only operate oil trains with the support of BGB,” said Sardar Shahadat Ali, director general of Bangladesh Railway.
Earlier on July 24, the Bangladesh Railway had decided to resume operation. But at night on the same day, they backtracked on the decision to resume passenger train operations from July 25.
Rail communication was suspended on 18 July in the face of obstruction in Dhaka’s Mohakhali amid the quota reform movement.
According to the authorities, the unrest damaged railway lines in different parts of the country.
Miscreants caused severe damages to at least 40 bogies of different trains of the East Zone of Bangladesh Railway while set four others bogies on fire during countrywide violence following quota reform movement. Officials of the East Zone of Bangladesh Railway said the state run transportation sector suffered a loss of Tk 21.70 crore during the nationwide violence and subversive acts.
The information was revealed by a probe body formed by the Bangladesh Railway.
A number of locomotives and bogies were also vandalized during the violence, it said.
On July 18, the quota reform protesters enforced a “complete shutdown”.
The railway authorities suspended movement of trains from July 18.
Sushil Kumar Haldar, chief signal and telecommunication engineer of Bangladesh Railway, said a probe body was formed by the East Zone to ascertain the damage caused by the attacks. “The commercial department suffered the most, followed by the mechanical department,” he said.
According to the report, seven compartments of ‘Sonar Bangla Express’ were vandalized while 13 compartments of ‘Chattala Express’, six of ‘Jamalpur Express’, eight of ‘Parabat Express’ and two of ‘Kishoreganj Express’ were vandalized during the nationwide violence.
Besides, four compartments of ‘Kishoreganj Express’ were set on fire while the locomotives of Chattala Express, Kishoreganj Express and Karnaphuli Commuter trains were also vandalized during the mayhem.
Meanwhile, the railway has incurred a huge loss due to the suspension of train movement on different routes as the authorities concerned of Bangladesh Railway have decided to return the money for tickets purchased for July 18 to 23, worth around Tk 16.28 crore.
The report said that the railway authorities have to refund Tk 11.70 crore to the passengers of Dhaka division under East Zone and Tk 4.58 crore to the Chattogram division passengers.
Saiful Islam, Manager of Railway East Zone Division (Chattogram), said, “It is not possible to refund the money for the tickets sold to the passengers until the internet is fully operational.”
No decision has been taken yet about the resumption of the train movement, he said.
The authorities concerned started operation of oil-laden trains from Friday. Four-oil-laden trains moved from Chattogram Railway Station, escorted by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members.
