Police today arrested a local leader of BNP from Birampur upazila of Dinajpur district in connection with a case filed over attempt to set fire to a rail track.

The arrestee was identified as Haidar Ali, joint secretary of Birampur unit of BNP.

Subrata Kumar, officer-in-charge of Birampur Police Station, said police arrested Haider from the upazila in the morning.

Earlier, a case was filed against eight identified people and several unidentified people in connection with the attempt to set fire to a rail track last night.

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Haidar was the prime accused in the case. He was handed over to Railway Police after primary interrogation.

“Police are trying to arrest the other accused in the case,” said the OC.

ATM Nurul Islam, in-charge of Parbatipur Railway Station, said miscreants are trying to destroy lives and property through sabotage activities on railways but their attempt was foiled due to strict surveillance by police.

Last night, law enforcers foiled miscreants’ attempt to set fire to a rail track in Birampur upazila of Dinajpur district.

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Mia Ranjan, sub-inspector of Birampur Police Station, said a group of people set fire to the slipper of rail tracks near No 2 Litchi Bagan in Birampur municipality area between 8 pm and 9 pm.

Noticing smoke, police and Ansar members rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze.

They also managed to halt the Khulna-bound Shimanto Express train, which was scheduled to go through the area, a few yards away, saving lives and property.