In the aftermath of a catastrophic collision at the Paduar Bazar railway crossing in Comilla, two gatekeepers, Helal Uddin and Mehedi Hasan, have been temporarily suspended by railway authorities. Preliminary investigations indicate that both were negligent in their duties at the time of the accident.
The suspensions were enforced on Sunday at 9:00 a.m., confirmed by Mostafizur Rahman Bhuiya, Divisional Manager of the Chittagong Railway Division. He stated, “Helal Uddin and Mehedi Hasan have been relieved of their responsibilities at Paduar Bazar due to dereliction of duty. We have also formed two separate investigative committees to determine the exact cause of this tragic incident.”
Sequence of Events
The Paduar Bazar crossing on the Dhaka-Chittagong rail line is typically manned by two gatekeepers who operate signals in rotation. According to Bhuiya, the Dhaka Mail train was scheduled to receive clearance at the crossing. “A communication gap occurred because the gatekeepers were not reachable at the critical moment. By the time contact was established, a bus had already entered the crossing and collided with the train,” he explained.
Following the accident, rail services along the Dhaka-Chittagong line were temporarily suspended. Before the arrival of the rescue train, one mail service managed to pass through the down line (toward Chittagong). A rescue train departed from Akhaura in Brahmanbaria and reached the scene at 8:15 a.m., halting traffic in both directions to facilitate recovery operations.
Bhuiya reported at 9:30 a.m., “The rescue team has successfully removed the bus from in front of the train. Clearance operations will be completed swiftly.”
Investigation Committees
Railway authorities have established two independent committees tasked with investigating the circumstances of the collision. Members have been instructed to submit their findings within three working days. Actions against the responsible parties will follow based on the committees’ reports.
Timeline of the Incident
| Date & Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 21 March, 2:55 a.m. | Collision between bus and train | Paduar Bazar, Comilla Sadar South |
| 21 March, 7:18 a.m. | Dhaka Mail departs Comilla Railway Station | Comilla |
| 21 March, 7:35 a.m. | Train passes accident site | Paduar Bazar Crossing |
| 21 March, 8:15 a.m. | Rescue train arrives from Akhaura | Paduar Bazar |
| 21 March, 9:30 a.m. | Gatekeepers suspended | Paduar Bazar Crossing |
The collision involved a Mamun Transport passenger bus and a Dhaka-bound mail train, resulting in the deaths of 12 people. Local authorities, railway officials, and emergency teams are working collaboratively to complete the recovery operations and restore normal rail services as quickly as possible.
This incident has sparked serious concerns over safety protocols at busy railway crossings and highlighted the critical role of gatekeepers in preventing such tragedies.