Train drags the bus half a kilometer away

A devastating accident occurred in the wee hours of Sunday at the Paduar Bazar railway crossing in Cumilla Sadar Dakshin upazila, along the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, claiming at least 12 lives and injuring 10 to 20 others.

Around 2:45-3:00 am, a passenger bus of Mamun Paribahan, travelling from Chuadanga to Lakshmipur, attempted to cross the railway tracks when it was struck by a Dhaka-bound train coming from Chattogram. 

The high-speed impact mangled the bus severely, with the train dragging the twisted wreckage forward for nearly half to one kilometer, from Paduar Bazar toward the Dowara or Jangalya-Kachua area, where it finally came to a halt entangled in front of the locomotive.

Eyewitnesses, including local resident Ramiz Uddin, described the horrifying scene of the train pulling the bus a long distance. 

Another resident, Shahenaz Akhter, recounted hearing a loud noise around 2:45 am, rushing to the site amid screams from the injured, and seeing railway staff begin rescue efforts, soon joined by locals, fire service, and police. 

Injured survivor Tafazzal Hossain recalled waking to the crash's deafening sound before being rescued in a bloodied state and taken to hospital.

At least 12 passengers died on the spot or shortly after, including seven men, two women, and three children. 

The injured were rushed to Cumilla Medical College Hospital, where emergency medical officer Ajay Bhowmik confirmed the arrival of casualties around 4 am and the grim toll. 

Authorities from Cumilla EPZ outpost, led by in-charge Mohammad Saiful Islam, responded by 3 am and noted the possibility of the death toll rising.

Rescue operations involved police, fire service, army, PBI, and railway police. 

Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Mohammad Idris stated that initial assessments pointed to the bus driver's error in crossing, with teams recovering bodies—including three pulled directly by fire personnel—and sending them to the hospital.

Allegations from train passengers and locals pointed to negligence by the rail gate signalman, with reports that emergency calls to 999 went unanswered multiple times. 

The collision severed rail communication between Dhaka and Chattogram, with a rescue train from Akhaura arriving around 8 am Sunday to clear the site. 

The affected train was shifted to Cumilla station by 10:30 am, restoring service after 11 am.

Cumilla Deputy Commissioner Md. Reza Hasan visited the scene Sunday morning and announced Tk 25,000 in aid for each deceased family from the district administration. 

Three separate investigation committees were formed: one by the district administration headed by Additional District Magistrate Md. Zafar Sadiq Chowdhury, and two by the railway divisional and zonal. 

Railway Divisional Manager Mostafizur Rahman emphasised that the cause—whether bus driver fault, signalman negligence, or otherwise—would be determined through thorough probes. 

Gatekeepers were later suspended in connection with the incident.