The countrywide blockade virtually paralysed railway communication between Dhaka and outlying destinations for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.
Bangladesh Railway could not restore the train service between Dhaka and Mymensingh.
No Chittagong bound train left Dhaka since 7.40 AM.
The Dhaka-Lalmonirhat line remained inoperative almost throughout the day, said officials.
BR authorities cancelled the scheduled departures of 14 trains from Dhaka as the tracks were uprooted or set on fire at different places.
Hundreds of people were seen waiting at Kamalapur Railway Station to catch trains that did not leave.
The authorities took the tickets back causing disappointments to the passengers.
BR director general Mohammad Abu Taher confirmed to New Age that until Wednesday afternoon that the Hajiganj-Meher section was uprooted and set on fire.
He said that barricades were put up before setting the Pahartali-Fouzdarhat section on fire.
He said that 10 feet of the line in the Kuliachar-Sararchar section was uprooted.
Besides three feet of the line near Sitakunda was also uprooted, he said.
Our correspondent from Lalmonirhat reports that train communication between Lalmonirhat and Dhaka and other routes were snapped for several following removal of fishplates at Mohendranagar near Lalmonirhat.
The line was restored at 4 PM, railway officials said.
On Tuesday, at least 50 passengers were injured as six coaches and the locomotive of the intercity Haor Express from Dhaka were derailed on way to Mohonganj due to removal of fishplates from the Gouripur-Shymganj section, said the BR director general.
On the same day five coaches and the locomotives of Agnibina were derailed on way to Jamalpur due to removal of fishplates from the Rajendrapur-Bhawal Gazipur section, he said.
BR is trying to salvage the locomotives and the coaches, officials said.
Since November 25, 656 feet of three rail lines between Imamabari and Gangasagar and 600 feet of the Imambari-Mandabagh lines were uprooted, said officials.
Kamalapur Railway Station master Dipendra Saha said that until 4 PM on Wednesday the authorities cancelled Chittagong-bound Shuborna Express, Mahanagar Godhuli and Turna Nishitha Express, Dewangan-bound Tista Express, Brahmaputra Express and Dewangan Express, Jaydevpur-bound Turag Express, Comilla Commuter, Mohonganj-bound Mahua Express, Mymensingh-bound Balaka Express, Jamalpur-bound Agnibina Express, Jamalpur Commuter, Tarakandi-bound Jamuna Express and the DEMU railcar service between and Narayanganj.
On Tuesday 12 trains were cancelled, he said.
‘We took the tickets back from the passengers bound for different destinations including Chittagong and Jamalpur seeing no possibility of restoration of the train services, he added.
BR, however, ran the Rangpur Express and Chapainawabganj Express behind the schedules.
Mohammad Hashem and Torab Ali, among many other day labourers spent hours at Kamalapur Railway to catch the Jamalpur Commuter, which was cancelled.
‘We don’t know how to return to Jamalpur. Usually, we go home on the weekends, ’ said Hashem.
On Wednesday, the authorities constituted a committee comprising railway and Ansar officials to protect railway property.
-With New Age input
