TDS Desk:

Inter-city trains have started running across the country, including Chattogram, after a long 27-day shutdown centered on the anti-discrimination student movement.

Eastern Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Engineer Mohammad Saiful Islam has confirmed that train movement has resumed from Thursday (August 15) morning.

Earlier, mail, express, local and commuter trains started plying from August 13. Before that, freight trains started running on August 12.

Eastern Region of Bangladesh Railway informs that during the nationwide student protests, there were cases of torching and breaking of doors and windows of coaches of intercity trains from July 19 to August 5. The damaged coaches have been sent to the base station and Pahartali shed and repairs are in progress.

Railways were blocked in various areas including Dhaka, Gazipur, Chattogram, Feni, Mymensingh, and Rangpur on July 16 amid the protests for quota reform in government jobs, disrupting train services for several hours. The next day, the train movement was pretty much normal.

When the movement turned into a conflict, the train movement was stopped on July 18. Later, mail, local, and commuter trains were introduced for short distances.

On August 4, the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) Movement announced a nationwide all-out non-cooperation movement, leading to an indefinite suspension of rail traffic.