Stone pelting on Cox’s Bazar Express train, passenger injured as window glass breaks

A passenger has been injured in a stone-pelting incident on the Cox’s Bazar Express train bound for Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar after a window glass was shattered by a stone thrown from outside. The passenger’s head was cut by the impact of the stone and broken glass while the train was in motion, and he was later taken off the train for treatment.

The incident occurred near Boalkhali in Chattogram after the train left Cox’s Bazar for Dhaka, according to a passenger on board on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the Dhaka-based passenger said the train departed Cox’s Bazar around 1:30pm. Suddenly stones were hurled at the moving train from outside. As a result, the glass of a window in the non-AC ‘Ka’ coach broke. A passenger sitting beside the window was hit on the head by the stone and broken glass, leaving his head cut and bleeding.

He further said that an announcement was made over the train’s public address system after the incident, stating that a passenger had been injured in the stone-pelting and requesting any doctor on board to assist. The injured passenger was later dropped off in the Boalkhali area for treatment.

A photograph of the primary treatment given to the injured passenger’s head has also been obtained, showing blood stains beside his head and cotton applied to the wound.

When contacted, officials of local railway stations said they had not received any information about the incident.

Patiya railway station master Abdus Salam said he was not aware of any such incident on Saturday. He added that the matter would be inquired into and information provided later.

Gomdandi railway station master in Boalkhali, Kanchan Bhattacharya, also said no information about such an incident had reached him.

Dohazari railway station master in Chandanaish, Nesar Ullah, said such incidents occur relatively less in their area. Stone-pelting on moving trains mostly takes place in the Lohagara, Chakaria and Harbang areas.

Passengers have described stone-pelting on moving trains as extremely dangerous. If a stone enters the train through a window, it can cause serious injury to passengers’ heads, eyes and other parts of the body. There is even a risk of a major accident if the driver or key railway staff are injured.

Passengers have demanded identification of risky stretches of the railway, increased surveillance, identification of stone-throwers with the assistance of the local administration and law enforcement agencies, and legal action against them.