In Kushtia, a father and son have been stabbed by a travelling ticket examiner (TTE) in a dispute arising over boarding a train.
The incident took place at about 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, aboard the Khulna-bound Sundarban Express from Kushtia.
The injured are Abdur Rahim, 60, of Palashipara in Chuadanga district, and his son Sumon, 35.
An eyewitness passenger, Riaz, said the incident began at about 12:25 p.m., as the Sundarban train was leaving Kushtia Court station, when a passenger who could not board his own coach tried to board coach “Kha.” Amid an altercation with the TTE and train staff, he said, the TTE himself hacked and wounded two people with a locally made knife. Immediately after the incident the train stopped a little way beyond the station.
A relative of the injured, Kakoli, said her sister Baby, 50, has cancer. She had seen a doctor in Kushtia and was returning home to Chuadanga. Her sister, brother-in-law and nephew had come from their home in Aruapara to the station to travel by train to Chuadanga. As the train pulled out just as they reached the station, her brother-in-law and his son hurried to get her aboard coach “Kha,” which led to an altercation with the TTE. When the train set off for Poradaha, she said, the TTE first struck her brother-in-law with a sharp knife. When the son, Sumon, came forward, he too was stabbed. They were struck in the stomach and various parts of the body. Passengers pulled the train’s chain to stop it, and the TTE and other train staff slipped away from the scene.
On being informed, the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Kushtia Sadar upazila and the officer-in-charge (OC) of the model police station reached the scene with a force and brought the situation under control. The injured were sent to Kushtia General Hospital. Police detained two relatives of the injured from the scene and took them to the station for questioning.
The train later left Court station at about 2:14 p.m. for Poradaha, following an assurance that action would be taken against those responsible.
UNO Harun Or Rashid said: “As soon as we heard, we reached the scene, spoke to local people and — considering the two thousand passengers on the train — arranged for the train to depart, with a promise to bring those responsible under the law later. The injured have been admitted to hospital.”
OC Kabir Uddin Molla said: “This incident with the train staff arose over boarding the train. I have heard that the TTE himself wounded passengers with a sharp weapon. Legal action will be taken subject to investigation. Two people have been detained for questioning.”
The in-charge of Kushtia Court station, Iti Begum, said the 726 Down Sundarban Express from Dhaka reached Kushtia Court station at 12:22 p.m., 52 minutes late, and stopped again just as it was leaving after setting down passengers. It later emerged that the train was standing at the station for a long time because of the stabbing by the TTE aboard the train, following an altercation between a passenger and train staff. After productive discussions with the administration, the train left for Khulna at 2:14 p.m.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report