Train torched in protest of mayor murder

 

        Pickets set fire to an intercity train in Narsingdi town during hartal enforced by Bangladesh Chhatra League protesting the murder of municipality mayor Lokman Hossain.

The protesters set ablaze six bogies of a Kishoreganj-bound intercity train ‘Egaro Sindhu Express’ in Chinishpur area of the town around 10:15am, said Maran Chandra Das, Narshingdi railway station master.

Picketers also barred firefighters from reaching the spot to douse the fire, reports our Narsingdi correspondent quoting the station master.

Several passengers of the train were wounded as they jumped off the burning train, Maran Chandra said.

Pickets threw brick chips on a vehicle of Rapid Action Battalion when a team of Rab-11 rushed to the scene.

Lokman was shot by a miscreant at the Narsingdi town Awami League office on Sadar Road Tuesday night. He later died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Protesting the muder, Bangladesh Chhatra League enforced a 72-hour hartal from 6:00am on Wednesday.

Later in the evening, the hartal was withdrawn after an assurance from the government of arresting the killers immediately, said Narsingdi BCL leader SM Qaiyum.

About 12:15pm, the body of Lokman reached his Basail residence in Narsingdi town, where party leaders and activists gathered to see the deceased.

His first namaz-e-janaza was held on Narsingdi Mousluddin Bhuiyan Stadium premises around 5:15pm while second one at Narsingdi City Corporation Eidgah Maidan around 6:00pm.

He was buried at Narsingdi City Corporation graveyard.

Earlier in the morning, the leaders and activists of Awami League and its associate bodies brought out separate processions in the town.

Vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway restored Wednesday afternoon. The protesters earlier put barricade in Narayanganj after hearing the attack on Lokman.

On the other hand, train communications on four routes – Dhaka-Kishorganj, Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Noakhali – remained snapped since 10:00pm Tuesday. The train service resumed around 5:00am Wednesday, which was disrupted again after the pickets set the train ablaze.

Narsingdi Superintendent of Police Dr Akkasuddin Bhuiyan said additional contingents of police, detective branch of police and Rab have been posted at different strategic points of the district to fend off any untoward incidents.

MH Nuruzzaman, additional deputy inspector of Dhaka range, and Lt Col Mostafa Kamal, additional DIG of Rab-11, reached the district Tuesday night after hearing the news of Lokman’s death.