The capital Dhaka’s rail connection with Sylhet and Chittagong has been stopped after vandalism at Brahmanbaria Railway Station over the death of a madrasa student. According to witnesses, Madrasa students vandalized different rooms of the rail station around 12.00pm. Earlier, they blockaded the rail line and removed several slippers from the tracks in the town’s TA Road area. The rail authorities have been compelled to halt three trains – Subarna Express, a local train, and another because of this. A madrasa student was killed and 50 other injured in a three-pronged clash following an altercation at Jamia Islamia Unusia Madrasa in the district town on Monday night. The deceased was identified as Masudur Rahman, son of Hafez Elias Mia at Bhadughar and a class eight student of Jamia Islamia Unusia Madrasa. Locals said that an altercation took place between a Madrasa student and a driver of auto-rickshaw over fare. At one stage, the driver slapped the student which triggered the clash. Later, madrasa students vandalized two shops. On information, police rushed to the spot. Soon after, Chhatra League activists joined the clash. Masudur Rahman suffered grievous injuries on the left side of his chest and abdomen during the clash, and he was admitted to the Brahmanbarhia Sadar Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries early Tuesday. As news of his death spread, angry madrasa students threw burning tyres on streets to block several places in the town and furiously demonstrated. Vehicular traffic was disrupted in the town and tension mounted as the students smashed several display gates. Huge number of policemen and BGB men have been deployed to avoid any untoward incident in the town. At least 30 handmade bombs were exploded at different places of the town during Monday’s clash. Police had to fire rubber bullets and lob tear gas canisters to disperse the madrasa students.
