Throwing stones at moving trains is nothing new in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Railway has long been trying to resolve this issue. However, before finding a solution, the authorities now face a new crisis, trains being blocked, vandalised, and stoned during various protests across the country.
On Monday, residents of Bhairab upazila in Kishoreganj blocked the railway demanding district status for Bhairab. Around 11am, they stopped the Dhaka-bound intercity train Upakul Express from Noakhali at Bhairab station, vandalised it, and threw stones at the passenger-filled carriages. At least 20 passengers were injured, and several compartments were damaged.
Videos of the incident went viral on social media, sparking nationwide criticism.
Bangladesh Railway Director General Afzal Hossain said many passengers, including women and children, were injured in the indiscriminate stone-throwing.
Calling the attack on passenger trains “deeply regrettable and unacceptable,” he said, “An attack on national property is an attack on the safety and wealth of the people. We are deeply concerned and outraged by the Bhairab incident.”
He added that an investigation had been launched to identify those involved and assured that legal action would be taken against the perpetrators.
Mojammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of the passenger rights organisation Jatri Kalyan Samity, said, “What happened in Bhairab in the name of a demand movement was an act of terrorism. If the government does not take legal action against them, such incidents will only increase.”
“Protests may happen, but attacking passengers knowingly? That’s nothing but terrorism,” he added.
Attacks on trains during demonstrations are not new. In November last year, students of Government Titumir College blocked roads and railways in Mohakhali demanding university status for their college. During that protest, stones were hurled at the Upakul Express coming from Noakhali. Several passengers, including women and children, were injured, and pictures of the bloodied victims circulating on social media drew strong condemnation.
Dhaka Railway Police Officer-in-Charge Zainal Abedin said, “A case was filed over the Titumir College incident, naming 150 to 200 people. The final report in the case will be submitted soon.”
When The Times of Bangladesh asked whether that meant the police had found no culprits, the officer replied, “Correct.”
Old problem still unresolved
Bangladesh Railway has been trying for over a decade to stop stone-throwing at moving trains, but with little success. The authorities say efforts are ongoing to prevent such acts.
Observers note that due to the vast railway network, it is difficult for the railway alone to tackle the problem.
In 2018, Bayezid Hossain, an inspector of the Benapole commuter train, died after being critically injured by a stone thrown at the train. Many others have been hurt over the years, though few receive follow-up care.
Data from the western region of Bangladesh Railway show that last year alone, 57 trains were hit by stones in that region, breaking 48 windows or doors and injuring 17 passengers.
The areas most prone to such attacks include Tangail to Joydebpur, Tongi to Tejgaon, Mirpur to Pakshi, Ishwardi to Majgram, and Mirbag to Rangpur.
Between January and September this year, 26 such incidents were reported in the western region, breaking 22 train windows or doors and injuring 10 passengers. These too occurred in the same vulnerable zones.
However, recent data from the western region were not available.
Bangladesh Railway Additional Director General Ahmed Mahbub Chowdhury said, “When a train window breaks, whether it needs replacement depends on the extent of the damage. Slightly damaged ones are kept in use. Even if completely broken, trains often continue running because they can’t be sent to workshops just for glass repair.”
“When trains run with broken glass, passengers complain, but there’s little we can do because replacement glass isn’t always available,” he added.
Director General Afzal Hossain said that apart from the loss of lives of passengers and staff, Bangladesh Railway suffers significant financial damage every year. “Repairing broken windows alone costs Tk 1 to 2 crore annually,” he said.
When asked why stone-throwing cannot be stopped, he explained, “Stones are thrown from outside the train, and the attacks occur in different locations each time. But when an area sees repeated incidents, our railway police’s intelligence branch conducts operations there.”
Mojammel Haque Chowdhury of Jatri Kalyan Samity said the railway cannot tackle the issue alone because of its extensive network. “Awareness must be raised among people living near railway lines,” he said.
Since 2018, Chattogram-based voluntary group The Engineers Club has been running awareness programmes among children living in slums near railway tracks to stop them from throwing stones at trains.
The organisation’s founder, Somen Kanungo, said they do not have exact data on the number of incidents but estimated that around 70 percent of stone-throwers are children or teenagers.
He said, “Most of them throw stones just for fun. We try to make them aware of the damage it causes and the legal consequences.” He also advised passengers to keep their windows closed in risky areas.
Kanungo said the organisation, in coordination with Bangladesh Railway, has identified 26 high-risk zones across the country. These include railway areas and stations under CMP Chattogram’s Pahartali and Sitakunda police stations, Feni Sadar, Fenchuganj in Sylhet, Narsingdi Sadar and Palash in Narsingdi, Ishwardi and Bhangura in Pabna, Sonatala in Bogura, Sundarganj in Gaibandha, and Phultala in Khulna.
Dhaka Railway Police Officer-in-Charge Zainal Abedin said, “The offenders are difficult to catch. A train runs at 80 kilometres per hour by the time we realise a stone has been thrown, it’s already several kilometres away.”
