BSS, Rajshahi :
Authorities of west zone of Bangladesh Railway have taken up top security measures at its installations, junctions, rail bridges and the engines and bogies including the fuel tankers to check any sort of sabotage by the pro-blockade outfits.
As part of the special security measures, the authority has set up close circuit camera in Rajshahi Station and arranged train piloting on the major routes besides deployment of additional law enforces in and outsides the railway stations.
Abdul Awal Bhuiyan, General Manager of Railway (West Zone), told BSS that the security measure of railway has been intensified further following the frequent attacks on railway establishments.
In addition to the railway’s own forces, police are also assisting them and if necessary, co-operation from the BGB and RAB was sought to ensure security and to resist sabotage of railway, he mentioned.
Ansar-VDP personnel are also guarding the major installations and points. According to Railway west zone sources, the zone covers three divisional towns and 22-district under its 5,553.3 kilometres of railway tract.
There are 214 railway stations of which 144 are operational and 70 are closed. All the open railway stations are more or less important covering 20 junction stations. There are also 10 large and medium sized railway bridges on the route, which have been identified as important. Of these, Hardinge Bridge at Pakesy and Jamuna Mutipurpose Bridge at Sirajganj area are the most important for their strategic location.
The criminal outfits are attacking the rail establishments, bridges, engines and bogies in a pre-planned way. They have planned to attack and damage railway bridges, set ablaze locomotives, passenger bogies and fuel tankers, remove railway tracks and fish-plates to disrupt train communication.
Jamaat-Shibir activists attacked a train in Joypurhat recently creating a danger for railway movement by removing fishplate and slippers at some other places.
Awal Bhuiyan said due to lack of adequate rail police and security personnel, it is apprehended that any major sabotage may be committed by the pro-blockade elements any day at any time.
He said security measure in all large establishments have been beefed up apprehending further attack and sabotage on railway specially at the sensitive railway establishments. As part of the intensified security measures, no unidentified faces are being allowed to enter and bodies of suspected persons are being searched.
Railway Security Forces remained vigilant round the clock, he added.
