Train services on the Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Sylhet routes returned to normal after a fire broke out in the engine of the Dhaka-bound intercity Egarosindur Godhuli Express near Pubail Railway Station in Gazipur on Friday afternoon. No casualties were reported.
The incident occurred around 4:30 pm as the train, traveling from Kishoreganj to Dhaka, was close to the station. Thick black smoke began pouring from the locomotive before flames erupted, sending a wave of panic through the carriages.
As the smoke drifted toward the coaches, passengers hurried off the train, fearing the blaze could spread. Railway staff brought the train to a halt, and local residents and railway personnel rushed to the scene. Working together with onboard firefighting equipment and other available means, they brought the fire under control within a short time.
Md Rafiqul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Bhairab Railway Police Station, said movement on the Chattogram-to-Dhaka line was suspended after the fire, while trains on the opposite line kept running normally. The disruption briefly affected services on both the Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Sylhet routes.
Anisur Rahman, director of public relations at Bangladesh Railway, said the stranded train resumed its journey to Dhaka with a replacement engine, after which rail communication on the affected routes was restored.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established. Rahman said Bangladesh Railway has formed a four-member committee to find out what went wrong. Its members have not been named. Officials are looking into whether a mechanical fault or overheating of the engine set off the blaze, while an electrical short circuit was also suspected in the early hours after the incident.
Engine and power-car fires have repeatedly disrupted the rail network this year. In May, a fire in the engine of the Mohanganj Express in Mymensingh's Trishal upazila halted Dhaka-Mymensingh services for about three hours, and no one was hurt. In March, a fire on the Chattala Express near Sitakunda in Chattogram destroyed the train's power car and one air-conditioned coach, and the railway formed a committee to look into that incident as well.
Gazipur has seen a similar scare before. In April 2025, a fire on the Mohua commuter train near Sreepur halted Dhaka-Mymensingh services for about two hours. An inquiry committee later found that it was not sabotage and said engine heat or a discarded cigarette may have started the blaze.
Because the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor is served by several intercity trains, even a short suspension can push back schedules for travelers along the route. Trains on the opposite line were not affected.
The committee's findings are expected to clarify what caused the fire. Until then, officials say the cause remains unconfirmed.
