Train services to northern Bangladesh remain suspended this morning (19 March), nearly 20 hours after the Nilsagar Express derailed near Bogura yesterday, leaving thousands of Eid-bound passengers stranded.
Ahmed Hossain Masum, chief engineer of Bangladesh Railway’s western zone, said the derailed carriages have been removed and repairs are nearly complete.
Train services will resume once the tracks are fully restored, he added.
The train, which departed Dhaka for Chilahati yesterday, derailed at around 2:40pm shortly after leaving Santahar Junction.
Nine carriages came off the tracks near a bridge south of Chhatiangram Station, causing severe damage to the railway line.
Rescue and track-repair operations began immediately, but the clearance of derailed carriages and restoration of the tracks took several hours, effectively cutting off rail communication between Dhaka and northern districts.
Due to a lack of alternative arrangements, many passengers have been forced to wait for long periods, while others are attempting to reach their destinations in overcrowded vehicles.
The derailment injured 112 people, with 22 admitted to Naogaon Sadar Hospital and Adamdighi Upazila Health Complex, while others received primary treatment and were later discharged.
Following the incident, train services along the Dhaka–Ishwardi–Dinajpur–Panchagarh route have been fully suspended, leaving northern regions temporarily disconnected from the capital by rail.
A four-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident, Chief Engineer Masum said.
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