In recent weeks, multiple freight trains have been involved in accidents across the country, including in Chattogram, Akhaura, and Brahmanbaria. These incidents have raised serious concerns among both railway officials and importers. As a result, the number of containers transported by rail from Chattogram Port has dropped sharply. However, investigations by the railway authorities revealed that improper loading inside the containers was the root cause of the accidents.
On April 10, a container (No. HDMU-2750346) was loaded onto flatcar No. 93262 at the Chittagong Port Goods Yard (CGPY) for transport to the Dhaka Kamalapur ICD. Shortly after the train departed, it tilted to one side and toppled over. The same container was then reloaded onto a different flatcar (No. 93292) and sent back to the port the next day. But during transit, it fell again while crossing the Ishaq Depot rail gate. Similar accidents occurred in several other locations across the country, including Akhaura and Brahmanbaria.
Following these incidents, the use of freight trains from the Chattogram Port declined significantly. As of May 18, only 36 freight trains had operated that month—compared to 70 in April and 72 in March. Normally, container movement is expected to rise ahead of Eid-ul-Azha to accommodate the increased import of goods. However, due to repeated accidents, traders are now opting for road transport instead of rail.
According to railway sources, after the same container was involved in two separate accidents, the authorities launched an internal review to determine whether there were any issues with the train or railway infrastructure. Finding no faults in the traffic operations, the container was opened in the presence of railway officials, the container owner, and representatives from the Chattogram Port Authority. During the inspection on April 22, they discovered that the goods inside were not properly lashed or packed. The load had shifted to one side, causing an imbalance. Although the trains and rail tracks were in working order, this uneven load distribution led to repeated derailments at the same locations, according to railway officials.
Several officials from the railway’s transportation department, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Bonik Barta that while train accidents can happen for various reasons, the unusually high number of incidents in a short span prompted the department to investigate. They identified improper loading inside containers as a major cause. Moving forward, they said, the authorities would inspect not only the railway system but also the condition of the containers and their contents. They added that after seven train accidents occurred within just 26 hours, concerns about risks and safety spread quickly. This has led to a sharp drop in container shipments via rail. Even though container traffic typically increases ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, it has now declined to record lows.
On April 27, the railway formally requested that ports and importers avoid transporting such unbalanced containers by train. In a letter signed by Mohammad Moniruzzaman, Assistant Transportation Officer (2), the railway stated that containers with goods accumulated on one side were not suitable for transport by rail. The letter advised ports and importing companies to use alternative transport methods for such containers, rather than waiting for rail clearance.
As a result of this stance, container movement by rail has fallen dramatically. Normally, more than 1,000 containers would be waiting for transport in the Chattogram Port and CGPY area, but that number has dropped to just a few hundred. On May 19, the port had only 440 containers in storage. Of those, 315 containers were recorded on May 13, 23 on May 14, 28 on May 15, 7 on May 16, 75 on May 18, and 266 on May 19. No containers were reported for transport by rail on May 17.
When contacted, Anisur Rahman, Divisional Transportation Officer (DTO) of Railway’s Eastern Zone, told Bonik Barta, “We launched an investigation after seeing the same trains and containers repeatedly involved in accidents. We found the issue was due to the way goods were stored inside the containers. We’ve informed the port and other relevant authorities. Hopefully, moving forward, greater caution and proper procedures will be followed during container loading to help prevent such accidents.”