Stone Hurled at Moving Train in Pabna: Former Student Santu Mia, Hit in the Head, Fights for His Life
Another passenger is in critical condition after miscreants hurled stones at a moving train in Pabna. The incident occurred in the Gachhpara area just before the Rajshahi-bound Dhalarchar Express reached Pabna railway station.
The stone was thrown at the moving train last Sunday (18 October). The seriously injured passenger is Santu Mia (32), a former meritorious student of the Civil Technology department of Pabna Polytechnic Institute and the son of the late Ansar Ali Pramanik of Gopinathpur village in Santhia.
On the day of the incident, the stone pierced the window and struck Santu Mia directly in the head. He then began having convulsions inside the train. He is now in critical condition at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where preparations are under way for his surgery.
From videos spread on social media and eyewitness accounts, it is known that panic spread within moments after the stone suddenly hit the moving train. Such a fate befalling a young man like Santu Mia during a train journey has created intense anger and anxiety across the district.
Stone-throwing on this route is nothing new. On 26 January 2020, the Dhalarchar Express was launched on the Dhalarchar-Rajshahi route, a long-cherished dream of the people of Pabna. On 12 February of that same year, stones were hurled at the train like rain between Bera and Santhia, injuring more than 10 passengers.
In that incident, the glass of 18 of the train's windows was smashed. Although stone-throwing later decreased somewhat due to the efforts of the administration and local residents, the situation has recently taken a more terrifying turn.
In the past month alone, more than 20 stone-throwing incidents have occurred on this route. Among them, on 12 September, stones were hurled from both sides at five coaches of the moving Dhalarchar Express in the evening between Dublia and Tantibandha stations. At least seven to eight passengers, including a student named Masud Rana, were injured.
From on-duty train staff to ordinary passengers, everyone is forced to travel in fear beside every window of the train as evening falls across the Sujanagar, Santhia and Bera upazila sections. Sunday's incident has deepened that fear further.
According to legal experts, throwing stones at a moving train is an extremely serious and non-bailable offence. Under the Railway Act, the punishment for such an offence can be up to life imprisonment and, in certain cases, even the death penalty. But in practice, visible enforcement of these laws is rarely seen, it is alleged.
Sources at Western Railway (Pakshi) say most of the offenders detained in the past were minors and teenagers, making it impossible to bring them under strict punishment. As a result, a lack of social awareness and lax surveillance are making the situation more uncontrolled every day.
Conscious citizens are expressing anger at the state security system as such unwanted and preventable crimes continue day after day. Their question is why the same kind of attack keeps happening on the same route without being stopped.
Faisal Bin Ahsan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Ishwardi Railway Police Station, said a case has been filed against unknown persons over the stone-throwing and all departments are working on the matter. Four cases were filed over stone-throwing incidents in 2024 and one in 2026, he added.
Mehedi Hasan, police superintendent of Western Railway Pakshi, said the matter is very unfortunate and that those who throw stones will be identified and brought under the law. Attempts to reach the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Western Railway Pakshi by phone for comment were unsuccessful despite repeated tries. All eyes are now on Santu Mia's treatment — the surgery and condition of this critically injured young man will determine the incident's gravest human outcome.
