Protesters halt intercity train at Naogaon's Atrai Ahsanganj Railway Station, stage human chain demanding renovations.

Daily Bijoy News, Naogaon Correspondent:

A human chain and protest rally was held today, Sunday, at Ahsanganj Railway Station in Atrai Upazila, Naogaon, demanding the stoppage of intercity trains at the station and its renovation. During the program, protesters halted the Dhaka-bound intercity 'Chilahati Express' train by showing red flags. The agitators allowed the train to leave after about an hour.

The human chain and protest rally began at 10 a.m. at Ahsanganj platform under the banner of the residents of Atrai Upazila. At one point, when the Chilahati Express, which had departed from Nilphamari, arrived at the station around 12 p.m., the demonstrators stopped it. The agitators later cleared the railway tracks, and the train departed for Dhaka around 1 p.m.

Speakers at the human chain stated that residents of Atrai and Raninagar in Naogaon, Baghmara in Rajshahi, and Singra in Natore travel to various parts of the country via roads and railways. Six intercity trains pass through Ahsanganj Station; however, only two intercity trains (the Dhrutayan and Nilsagar Express) stop at this publicly important station. They claimed that the revenue earned by Ahsanganj Station is much higher than that of the adjacent Santahar and Natore stations.

They demanded that intercity trains must stop at this station to ensure smooth travel for the people of this region. This would facilitate public travel and also generate revenue for the government.

The speakers at the human chain included Khabirul Islam, the Jamaat-e-Islami nominated candidate for the Naogaon-6 (Atrai and Raninagar) constituency and a member of the Naogaon District Jamaat's working committee, Shahin Ahmed, General Secretary of the Atrai Notun Bazar Business Association, Obaidullah, President of the Vhupara Union Jamaat, and others.

Jamaat leader Khabirul Islam said during the human chain, "We have stopped the Chilahati Express train through our movement today. We don't just want the Chilahati Express; we want the people of this area to have the facility to travel on all intercity trains that pass through Ahsanganj Station. We demand that the railway authorities and the government quickly announce stoppages and ticket availability for all intercity trains at Ahsanganj Station. Furthermore, I also demand the renovation of the historic Ahsanganj Station, which has been operating since the British era. If these public demands are not met soon, we will announce stricter agitation programs with the people."

Daily Bijoy News / Ujjal Kumar Sarkar