Residents Block Railway Line in Kushtia Demanding Benapole Express Stop Restoration
Hundreds of protesters blocked rail tracks at the Khoksa railway station in Kushtia on Thursday, effectively halting train services between Kushtia and Rajbari. The demonstration, which began at 4:30 p.m., was sparked by the Ministry of Railways' decision to relocate the Benapoul Express stop from Khoksa to the neighboring Kumarkhali station.
The unrest, which had been brewing since the ministry's announcement on Wednesday, intensified as protesters gathered in defiance of heavy rain. The blockade left the Benapoul Express stranded at the station, with booking assistant Anisur Rahman confirming that the train could not proceed due to the obstruction on the tracks.
Local Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Afzal Hossain arrived at the site around 6:00 p.m. to negotiate with the crowd. He informed the demonstrators that he had secured assurances from higher authorities that the Benapoul Express would retain its stop in Khoksa while also servicing Kumarkhali. However, his remarks were met with skepticism and chants of "fake" from the gathering, as protesters insisted on continuing their blockade until they received a more definitive resolution.
Abdul Wadud, the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kushtia, later clarified that the proposal to shift the train's stop had been officially canceled, meaning the service would continue at Khoksa as scheduled. Wadud noted that while the Khoksa stop is secure, authorities are still working toward a separate decision to accommodate the train at Kumarkhali station within the coming days.
