Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said they will leave no stone unturned to identify the perpetrators of the heinous crime of setting a train on fire. "Each and every one will be brought to justice and exemplary punishment shall be rendered to the culprit(s), according to the law of the land," he said in a statement today. Momen said this blatant attempt to instill fear and panic among the masses is an affront to the spirit of the democracy and the enthusiastic participation of Bangladeshi citizens in the upcoming election. Government firmly committed to hold "free, fair, peaceful" polls with people’s participation: FS tells foreigners "This act of setting a train on fire, with people burning inside is characteristic of the pattern of violence that we have witnessed before as well. This has shocked the conscience of our whole society — and indeed — the whole world," he said. When people of Bangladesh are eagerly preparing for a festive national election, a horrifying act of arson took place on the evening of January 5, 2024, when the Benapole Express train was intentionally set on fire by miscreants, Momen observed. This deliberate and heinous act, which occurred at approximately 9 pm around Gopibag Kacha Bazar area when the train was on its way to Kamalapur Railway Station, has resulted in the deaths of four people including two children and scores were injured, he said. BIMSTEC chief vows to translate its grand vision into reality for deepening cooperation  “This reprehensible incident, undoubtedly orchestrated by those with malicious intent, strikes at the very heart of our democratic values,” Momen said. "The timing of this tragedy, just a day before the election scheduled for January 7, 2024, shows an absolute intention to hinder the festivity, safety and security of the democratic processes of the country," he said. Momen said it is an affront to democracy, an attack on the democratic process, and a grave violation of the rights of citizens. Bangladesh election is domestic affair: India "This deliberate act of setting a train on fire, where innocent passengers were subjected to unimaginable horror and forced to endure the unforgivable sight of fellow humans being burned alive, is an act of absolute abomination," the foreign minister said.

A case has been filed over burning three carriages of the intercity Jamuna Express train near Sarishabari railway station in Jamalpur early today (November 19, 2023). Unidentified miscreants set three carriages (Ka, Kha and Ga) of the train on fire at around 1:12 am today after the Tarakandi-bound intercity train left Jamalpur’s Sarishabari railway station. Also read: CNG-run autorickshaw catches fire as cocktail thrown in Old Dhaka A fire service team led by Senior Station Officer of Sarishabari Fire Service, Ruhul Amin, rushed to the spot and doused the fire around 2:30 am. At least 4-5 passengers were injured during the incident as they tried to get out of the carriages. At least two of them, including a woman, is currently undergoing treatment at Sarishabari Upazila Health Complex. Meanwhile, a case has been filed against 15-20 unidentified people in relation to the incident. Also read: 48-hour hartal called by BNP, others begins amid fear of violence Abdus Salam, assistant stationmaster of Sarishabari railway station, filed the case with Jamalpur Railway Police Station around 7 am today. Confirming the news, Jamalpur Railway Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Gulzar Hossain said efforts were underway to nab those involved in the incident. Also read: BNP-Jamaat’s hartal: 460 RAB teams deployed across the country