Rail communication between Sylhet and the rest of the country remained suspended since Wednesday night following the derailment of an oil-laden train in Habiganj.
The Chattogram-bound fuel train from Sylhet veered off the track around 9:45pm near Mantala Railway Station in Madhabpur upazila. One of the wagons plunged into a roadside ditch. However, no casualties were reported.
As of 8am on Thursday, only two of the derailed wagons were salvaged, said Mantala Railway Station Master Ataur Rahman Khadem.
He added that it is unclear when services will fully resume.
Witnesses said a loud noise was heard at the time of the derailment, drawing crowds to the scene.
Some locals attempted to siphon fuel from the overturned wagons, but members of law enforcement agencies, including Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), intervened to prevent theft and secure the area.
Lt Col Tanzilur Rahman, commander of BGB’s 55th Battalion in Habiganj, on Thursday morning said they responded promptly and stopped the looting attempt, recovering nearly 1,000 litres of oil so far. Fire Service personnel and other authorities are assisting in the recovery efforts.
The derailment has disrupted both passenger and freight movement on the Sylhet-Dhaka and Sylhet-Chattogram routes, causing significant delays and inconvenience.