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Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Students at Rajshahi University are blocking railway lines, demanding action against a ticket examiner accused of assaulting a peer.
- The protest has halted rail communication between Rajshahi and the rest of Bangladesh, stranding hundreds of passengers.
- The accused traveling ticket examiner (TTE) has been suspended, but protesters demand his appearance and further action, while authorities are in talks to resolve the standoff.
Hundreds of passengers faced hours of disruption at Rajshahi Railway Station as students from Rajshahi University continued their protest by blocking railway lines. The demonstration, which began near the university campus, effectively suspended all rail communication between Rajshahi and the rest of the country throughout the day.
I have been waiting for four hours. It looks like the train will be delayed by another two or three hours. I'll have to go by bus instead.
Several intercity and local trains were halted, leaving passengers in uncertainty. Some, like Sadman Haque, who had been waiting for the Dhaka-bound Silk City Express, decided to abandon their journeys after four hours, opting for bus travel instead. Roksana Begum, traveling with her ill husband to Dhaka, expressed distress after waiting for five hours without updates, unsure whether to continue waiting or seek alternative transport.
My husband is ill, and we urgently need to go to Dhaka. No one can tell us when the train will leave, and nobody is giving us any updates. I don't know whether to keep waiting or take a bus.
The protest was sparked by allegations from RU law student Furkan Uddin, who claims he was assaulted by a traveling ticket examiner (TTE) aboard the Padma Express. The incident allegedly occurred after Uddin questioned the TTE about collecting money from passengers without issuing official receipts. Students are demanding the accused's punishment, a thorough investigation, compensation for the victim, and scheduled stops for all intercity trains at Rajshahi University Railway Station.
There is no point in making people suffer like this. I heard there is a protest on the university campus, but why should we have to bear the consequences?
Rajshahi Railway Station Manager Ziaul Ahsan confirmed that multiple trains, including the Bonolota Express and Silk City Express, were suspended, affecting approximately 32 daily train services. While passengers are being refunded, Ahsan stated that the accused TTE has been suspended. However, protesters insist on the TTE being produced before them. A meeting involving the divisional commissioner, the RU vice-chancellor, and the general manager of Bangladesh Railway's Western Zone is reportedly underway to resolve the situation.
All trains scheduled to operate during this period have been affected.
Originally published by Daily Star. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.