Brahmanbaria: The rail communication of Dhaka with Chittagong and Sylhet have been snapped since Tuesday morning as madrasa students involved in multiple clashes with police at Brahmanbaria town following a riot on Monday evening.

Agitated students blocked Brahmanbaria rail station area at about 10:00am and vandalised the station’s property.

The protestors also set fire on the railway tracks which snapped the rail communication between Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Sylhet.

Brahmanbaria railway assistant station master Mainul Hossain told NTV Online the demonstrators put fire on the railway lines in several places. They also vandalised signal stands and boards of the rail tracks.

The protestors also vandalised furniture at the station master’s room.

The assistant station master said Dhaka-bound Shubarna Express train from Chittagong stuck at Baghachang station in Akhaura while Sylhet-bound Kalni Express train trapped at Azampur, and Karnafui Express train in Bhairab due to the widespread clash.

Earlier, Hafez Masudur Rahman, a student of Jamia Islamia Yunusia Madrasa was died after he was injured in the 3-way riot broke out in Brahmanbaria town on Monday evening.

The deceased, also resident of Shamantaghar village of Nabinagar upazila, died undergoing treatment at Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday.

Masudur’s brother Hafez Mohammad Mamun and classmate Mufti Niyamul Islam claimed Masud was shot by police during the clash.

He said the hartal will be observed under the banner of Tauhidi Janata protesting the death of a student, attack on the madrasa, demanding withdrawal of Sadar circle assistant superintendent of police Tapash Ranjan Bose, Sadar police officer-in-charge Akul Chandra Biswas, and investigation over the death of the student.

Earlier on Monday evening, a widespread riot broke out in Brahmanbaria town between students of the municipal town’s largest seminary, traders of district council market and activists of Chhatra League, students’ body backed by the ruling Awami League, left at least 20 wounded, including several policemen.

Police have fired several hundred shots and tear gas shells to reinstate law and order.

Local people said two students of Jamia Islamia Yunusia Madrasa, which is the largest seminary of the town, got into argument with Rony, owner of Bijoy Telecom shop set up at Zilla Parishad Market. The students left the place threatening Rony of severe consequence. They went back hours later with hundreds of their fellows and vandalised several shops, including that of Rony’s.

Later traders chased the seminary students and beat up a few of them. The clash turned into a riot when Chhatra League activists joined the traders and Kandipara inhabitants supported seminary students.

The rioters blasted more than a hundred crude bombs on TA Road. Seminary students set fire to tyres on the roads to block the entry of opponents into their area. Police took position to tackle the both sides. But sporadic clashes are still going on in the town.