A horrific accident at Cumilla’s Poduar Bazar railway crossing, where a mail train collided with a passenger bus, has resulted in 12 deaths. The District Administration has decided to provide financial assistance of BDT 25,000 to each family of the deceased.

Three Investigation Committees Formed
To ascertain the actual cause of the accident, three investigation committees have been formed. Among these, two committees have been established by the railway authorities, and one by the District Administration.

The District Administration’s committee comprises five members, with Additional District Magistrate Md. Zafar Sadique Chowdhury appointed as the convener.
Other members of the committee include: Faruk Alam, Assistant Director of Cumilla BRTA; A. Momin, Officer-in-Charge of Maynamati Highway Police Station; the Station Master of Cumilla Railways; and Iqbal Hossain, Assistant Director of the Fire Service.

The two railway committees will each have 6 members.

Divisional Committee: Convener – Divisional Transport Officer (Chattogram) Anisur Rahman. Other members – Divisional Engineer Abu Rafi Mohammad Imtiaz Hossain, Divisional Mechanical Engineer Rezwan-ul-Islam, Signal and Telecommunication Engineer Ashikur Rahman, Medical Officer Dr. Tahamina Yasmin, and RNB Commandant Md. Shahidullah.

Zonal Committee: Convener – Chief Operating Superintendent (East) Md. Shafiqur Rahman. Other members – Chief Engineer Md. Tanvirul Islam, Chief Mechanical Engineer Sadek Rahman, Chief Signal and Telecom Engineer Tareq Mohammad Shams Tushar, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ibne Sofi Abdul Ahad, and Chief Commandant Zahirul Islam.

Accident Details
On Saturday (March 21) around 3 AM, a mail train traveling from Chattogram to Dhaka collided with a passenger bus named ‘Mamun Paribahan’. The train dragged the bus for at least half a kilometer. Initially, 7 bodies were recovered, but the death toll later rose to 12.

Administrative Measures
The District Administration has announced a grant of BDT 25,000 for each family of those killed in the accident. Additionally, all necessary measures have been taken to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured.

The investigation committees have been instructed to conduct on-site investigations and submit their reports as soon as possible, specifically examining whether there was any negligence on the part of the signalman or gateman at Poduar Bazar.