Rail services on the busy Dhaka–Mymensingh route have been suspended since early Monday after a passenger train derailed in Mymensingh district, railway officials have said.
Two bogies of the Agnibina Express derailed at around 5:10am in Gafargaon upazila after a section of railway track was deliberately removed, according to railway authorities. No casualties were reported.
The train was travelling from Tarakandi station towards Gafargaon when it ran off the tracks, said Hanif, station master at Mymensingh Railway Station.
“Initial findings suggest that around 20 feet of rail track had been removed, causing the derailment,” he said.
The Railway Security Force (RNB) said repair and recovery operations were under way. Inspector Md Sirajul Islam of the RNB in Mymensingh said technical teams had been deployed to reinstall the damaged tracks and clear the derailed bogies.
“Train operations will resume once the track is repaired and safety checks are completed,” he said.
The derailment has disrupted rail communication between Dhaka and several northern districts, forcing authorities to halt train movements on the route as a precaution.
The incident occurred amid heightened tension in the area following the nomination of a local Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader, Aktaruzzaman Bacchu, as the party’s candidate for the Mymensingh-10 constituency on Saturday.
Local sources said supporters of rival aspirants staged protests in Gafargaon upazila and the municipal town, during which fires were reportedly set in more than 30 locations, including near railway infrastructure, triggering panic among residents.
Railway officials said investigations were under way to identify those responsible for removing the tracks, and additional security measures had been taken to protect rail installations in the area.
Authorities have urged the public to remain calm while efforts continue to restore normal rail services.
