Amid the tumultuous situation in Bangladesh triggered by ongoing protests against government job quotas, railway services between India and Bangladesh have been significantly disrupted, with special passenger trains being canceled.
On Saturday, July 20, Eastern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Kaushik Mitra addressed the media, elaborating on the impact of the protests on railway connectivity between the two nations. "There is no information yet as to when the train services between India and Bangladesh will resume," Mitra stated, noting that passenger train services remain canceled for the next two days.
"The Kolkata-Dhaka Maitree Express has been canceled. The Bandhan Express, which runs on Sunday, has also been stopped. In talks with the Bangladesh government, we have canceled this train. Bandhan Express will not run on Sunday. We hope that these train services will start soon and our brotherly relations will continue," the CPRO added.
About the unrest in Bangladesh
Significantly, the present development comes amid the unrest in Bangladesh has escalated, prompting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy military forces to maintain order. The protests intensified on Friday when demonstrators stormed a jail in Narsingdi, freeing hundreds of inmates before setting the facility ablaze.
Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the ruling Awami League party, announced the measures following deadly clashes. Police and security officials fired on protesters and banned all gatherings in the capital. As of now, the death toll from the violent protests has reached 105, according to media reports.
Situation remains grim
Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that the Police used tear gas to disperse protesters in several areas, with fire and smoke visible from rooftops in Dhaka. On Friday, three people were killed as police cracked down on the student-led protests despite the ban on public gatherings, local media reported.
Telecommunications have also been disrupted, and television news channels have gone off the air. Authorities cut some mobile telephone services the previous day in an attempt to quell the unrest. Bangladeshi media reported that train services had been suspended nationwide as protesters blocked roads and threw bricks at security officials.
READ MORE | Bangladesh imposes nationwide curfew as violent protests over govt jobs escalate, 105 killed | WATCH
