GAZIPUR, Dec 13, 2023 (BSS) - A 20-foot stretch of rail track was

intentionally uprooted by unidentified saboteurs, leading to the derailment
of the Dhaka-bound Mohanganj Express in Gazipur in the early hours of today.

"Twenty feet of rail track was cut off ... It is an act of sabotage," Abul
Fateh Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, deputy commissioner of Gazipur district, told
reporters after visiting the spot.

Anwar Hossain, superintendent of Dhaka Railway Police, also said the cutting
off of the rail track caused the accident around 4:00am today, killing one
person and injuring several others.

"It is a subversive activity carried out to cause harm to train passengers
and damage government property. We think pro-blockade supporters did it," he
told reporters on the spot.

"We will be able to identify and arrest those involved in the incident," he
said, adding that apart from railway police, district police and intelligence
wings were also working in this regard.

Police and district administration officials said they recovered two gas
cylinders which were used to power gas cutters to sever the section of the
track.

The incident occurred on the second day of the 36-hour blockade called by BNP
and its allies.