A madrasa student and a 55-year-old man were killed after being struck by a train in Chattogram on Friday afternoon. The incident occurred near the Sholoshahar railway crossing in the city at around 1:45pm, when the Cox’s Bazar-bound Tourist Express was passing through the area.
The deceased have been identified as Md Rahat, a madrasa student, and Delowar Hossain Mintu, 55. Rahat was from the Mosque Lane area near Gate No. 2 in the city and studied at a local madrasa. His father is Md Faruk.
According to people familiar with the incident, Rahat was walking along the railway line near Sholoshahar railway station when the Tourist Express approached. Seeing the child in the path of the oncoming train, Mintu reportedly rushed towards him and pushed him away in an attempt to save his life.
Mintu, however, was struck by the train and died at the scene.
Rahat was also seriously injured in the incident. He was rescued with one arm and one leg severed and was taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for emergency treatment. Doctors admitted him to Ward 26, but he died while undergoing treatment about two hours later.
Rahat’s father, Md Faruk, said his son had asked him for Tk20 after Friday prayers to buy chotpoti. Shortly after taking the money and leaving home, the family learnt that Rahat had been injured in a train accident.
Faruk said he rushed to the hospital after receiving the news and found his son in a critical condition. Despite receiving treatment, Rahat could not be saved. The family later took his body towards their ancestral home in Chandraganj, Lakshmipur.
The incident has caused grief among the local community, particularly because Mintu reportedly lost his life while trying to move the child away from the approaching train. Railway tracks are dangerous areas for pedestrians, and even a brief lapse in attention can have fatal consequences when a train is approaching.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are being handled by railway police. Sujon Kumar Dey, officer-in-charge of Chattogram Railway Police Station, said the bodies of both victims had been handed over to their respective families.
He added that an unnatural death case had been filed over the incident.
The tragedy has left two families mourning and highlighted the serious risks faced by people who walk along railway tracks, particularly in busy urban areas where trains regularly pass through densely populated neighbourhoods.
