Dhaka [Bangladesh], November 1 : Unidentified attackers hurled two crude bombs at the Maitree Express train near Ishwardi junction in Bangladesh's Pabna on Wednesday afternoon, as reported by Dhaka Tribune.
The Dhaka Tribune is a Bangladeshi English-language daily newspaper based in Dhaka.
No major damage or injury to any of the passengers was reported in the incident as the crude bombs exploded beside the passing train. The incident took place at around 12 noon as the train from Kolkata was heading towards Dhaka.
Ishwardi Railway police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Harunuzzaman Rumel confirmed the incident and said that an object was thrown at the Maitree Express, resulting in damage to a window of the train compartment.
No injuries were reported, and the train continued its journey as scheduled. However, signs of arson were discovered at the scene, the officer said.
Pabna Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration-Finance) Masud Alam said, "Two crude bombs were hurled at the train, damaging one of the train's windows. Fortunately, there was no further damage. We are investigating the matter thoroughly", Dhaka Tribune reported.
Meanwhile, some unidentified individuals vandalized a bus before setting it on fire in Karnafuli upazila of Chittagong early on Wednesday, the second day of a blockade called by the (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) BNP.
"The bus was heading towards Karnafuli to Patiya after dropping off garment workers at their factory. Seeing blockaders ahead, the bus tried to return. They later intercepted the bus and set it on fire," Karnafuli police station OC Jahir Hossain told reporters, as per Dhaka Tribune.
The driver and his assistant had managed to escape with their lives as they had gotten off the bus quickly, he added.
The police, and fire service personnel rushed to the spot upon receiving the information and brought the blaze under control.
The police were trying to nab those involved in the arson attack, the OC said.
The US has expressed concern about the current electoral atmosphere in Bangladesh, specifically in the lead-up to the national election scheduled for January.
The country has underlined its unwavering commitment to closely monitoring the situation and taking incidents of violence seriously, as per Dhaka Tribune.
During a routine briefing held at the US Department of State on Tuesday, spokesperson Matthew Miller stressed Washington's active engagement with various stakeholders in Bangladesh, including the government, opposition and civil society, saying the primary objective of these engagements was to encourage collaboration among these groups for the benefit of the Bangladeshi people and to ensure a free and fair election conducted in a peaceful manner.
"We do believe that dialogue is important to achieving those goals," he said.
Miller said holding free and fair elections is the responsibility of everyone - all political parties, voters, government, civil society and the media.
"And what we want in Bangladesh is the same thing the Bangladeshi people want, which are free and fair elections conducted in a peaceful manner," the US State Department spokesperson said.
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