A six-member committee will investigate the derailment of the Panchagarh-bound Panchagarh Express near Kamalapur Railway Station in the small hours on Friday. The Ministry of Railways has formed a committee with the Additional Secretary of the Planning Division. Mr. Rafiqul Islam as convener while Senior Assistant Secretary of the Land Branch, will act as the member secretary. Other members of the committee include the Additional Director General of Railway Services at Bangladesh Railways, the Chief Engineer (West) of Bangladesh Railways in Rajshahi, the Deputy Inspector General of Railway Police, and a representative from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Train communication with Dhaka restored following derailment The committee has been asked to submit the report within seven days. The incident, occurring around 12:30 am on Friday in the outer signal area of Kamalapur Railway Station station, led to widespread delays, impacting train schedules from Dhaka on Friday morning. The derailment brought train operations on both eastern and western routes to a standstill, leaving trains stranded at multiple stations, including Joydebpur, Pubail, and Tongi in Gazipur; Jinaradi and Ghorashal in Narsingdi; and Dhaka Airport, Tejgaon, and Cantonment stations. The result was a ripple effect of delays, with several trains departing 5-7 hours behind schedule.

The extended holidays for Eid-ul-Azha have come to an end, and the residents of the capital are starting to return to rejoin work. Having spent the holidays with loved ones, people have begun streaming back into Dhaka, marking the end of a brief period of tranquility in the bustling metropolis. From early morning today, Kamalapur Railway Station witnessed a significant crowd as city dwellers arrived back from their hometowns. Around ten million people had left Dhaka to celebrate Eid with their families, dramatically altering the usual busy atmosphere of the city. Read more: Eid journey was safe this time due to use of speed guns: Bangladesh Police Families, carrying luggage and gifts from their hometowns, were seen disembarking from trains and hailing rickshaws and CNG-run auto rickshaws to reach their destinations.

The new ticketing system for inter-city rail services has started today (March 01, 2023) from Dhaka’s Kamalapur Railway Station.   “We introduced the new ticketing system for passengers to address complaints regarding ticketing,” Railway Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan said. He said this while handing over POS (point of sale) machines that will facilitate collecting fares through national identity (NID) card verification.   “We took this initiative to stop black marketing, and to enable customers to purchase tickets without any complication,” he said. Also Read: 3 new services in railway ticketing management to be launched from March 1: Minister This new system will also enable commuters to cancel their purchase without coming to the station. Commuters will be able to cancel a purchase online from now on. The minister also said they will introduce more facilities gradually. “Passengers won’t be allowed to purchase tickets without registering,” he added. The new ticketing system will be introduced in local trains gradually. Through this, legal steps will be taken against those who travel using another person’s ticket, he said, adding that the government can collect the fare directly. Read More: 3 new services in railway ticketing management to be launched from March 1: Minister A total of 100 POS machines were handed over today.

Social distancing went for a toss as thousands of people thronged Kamalapur Railway station on Tuesday to buy train tickets ahead of Eid-ul-Azha amid an uptrend of Covid infections in Bangladesh. People, most of them without masks, were seen waiting in long queues in front of ticket counters at Kamalapur Railway station as only four days left before Eid. Bangladesh Railway started selling advanced tickets from July 1 as the country is going to celebrate the second biggest religious festival of the Muslims on July 10. Read: Ensure wearing masks, social distance, health guidelines amid Covid surge in world: NTAC However, as the wait turned longer by hours, the gaps between the lines narrowed to invisible as holidaymakers went anxious whether they would get their desired ticket or not. The country registered 12 Covid-linked deaths on Monday which is highest in the last four months along with 2,285 fresh infections, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The country last reported 13 Covid-linked deaths with 368 cases while the daily positivity rate was at 2.11 per cent on March 5 this year. The daily positivity now stands at 16.51 per cent following a rising trend of cases.

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) has launched an ATM Booth at Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital. Railway Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan inaugurated the booth Saturday. Mohammed Monirul Moula, managing director and chief executive officer of IBBL, and Dhirendra Nath Mazumder, director general of Bangladesh Railway, were also present, according to a media statement. Read: AIBL gets top sustainable bank recognition

A fire that broke out in a container at Kamalapur Railway Station on Saturday afternoon  has been brought under control. The fire started around 3:40 pm  and five fire fighting units managed to bring the flames under control around 6:30 pm, said Md Shahjahan Shikdar, deputy assistant director (media cell) of Fire Service and Civil Defence. Also read: Fire at spinning mills in N'ganj, Narsingdhi “The origin of the fire and extent of damages from it could not be ascertained yet,” said Md Shahjahan Shikdar. Fortunately, no causalities were reported. Also read: 7 die in India building fire

An official of the High Court was crushed to death under a train at Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital on Thursday. The victim was identified as Md Tarikuzzaman Bakul, 45, hailing from Rohanpur village in Gomastapur Upazila of Chapainawabganj district. Mohammad Shahjahan, a sub-inspector of Kamalapur Railway Police Station, said Tarikuzzaman fell on the rail track as he was absentminded and crushed under the wheels of Mohanganj-bound train around 1:20pm. The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital for autopsy, he added.

The railways offering a cheaper and safer alternative is the preferred mode of transportation for the people. But public transportation has remained suspended since a lockdown was enforced earlier this month. Kamalapur Railway Station, which usually teems with life, has fallen silent. With the extended lockdown, passenger train services will remain suspended until April 28, as part of the government’s measures to curb the transmission of coronavirus. Also read: Lockdown: Pvt cars rise on Dhaka roads In the last 24 hours until Thursday morning, the country recorded 98 deaths and 4,014 new infections pushing the total number of cases to 736,074, said the Directorate General of Health Services. Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh sees 98 more deaths, 4014 new infections An UNB photographer captured photos of an empty and eerie Kamalapur Railway Station wearing a dejected look.

A large number of homebound people were seen gathering at railway station and bus terminals as the government announced 7-day countrywide lockdown from Monday. Commuters fearing suspension of public transport crowding at the bus and launch terminals amid the risk of Coronavirus transmission. Excessive pressure transports was seen on the highway causing long tailbacks.

Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan on Tuesday said no arrangements have been taken to operate special trains ahead of Eid-ul-Azha this year.