Mohanganj Express Catches Fire in Tejgaon, Killing Four People

Metropolis Report-

As three Mohanganj Express coaches were set on fire by arsonists early today in the Dhaka neighborhood near Tejgaon Railway Station, at least four passengers—including a woman and her three-year-old son—were killed.

Nadira Akter Poppy, 35, and her son Md Yasin were identified as two of the deceased.

The incident happened at approximately 5:04 a.m., according to Shahjahan Sikder, the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters’ deputy assistant director for media.

According to him, around 6:45 a.m., three fire engines arrived on the scene and put out the fire.

The fire official also stated that later on, the bodies of Poppy, Yasin, and two unidentified men were found inside one of three coaches. He said that the train was traveling from Netrokona to Dhaka.

They are from Baruna village in Netrokona Sadar upazila, according to Habibur Rahman Habib, Nadira’s brother, who spoke with The Daily Star. However, because her husband Mizanur owns a hardware store in Karwan Bazar, they used to reside in Tejgaon Tejturi Bazar, the capital.

He said that Nadira and her two sons had left for their village home on December 3 and were returning to Dhaka today via the Mohanganj Express.

On the trip, Habib accompanied Nadira and her two sons, 8-year-old Fahim and Yasin.

He added that when it stopped, some passengers got off the train at the Tejgaon station.

The train caught fire at the back of the coach as soon as it began to move. He said that the fire instantly spread to the entire compartment.

Habibur claimed that although he and Fahim could exit the train, Yasin and his mother Nadira remained inside.  According to Habib, the fire department later removed their bodies.

The damaged train was moved to Kamalapur railway station, and train service on the route is now operating normally, according to Ferdous Ahmed Biswas, the officer in charge of the Dhaka Railway Police Station.

December 13, the Mohanganj Express in Gazipur derailed due to the deliberate removal of a 20-foot section of rail track by unidentified saboteurs, resulting in one fatality and multiple injuries.