Railway Minister Nurul Islam Shujon has attributed the collapse of train schedules to the excessive pressure of homebound passengers ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
He said every train leaving Dhaka is packed with people on its rooftops and engine. Under the circumstances, trains are travelling slower than usual to ensure the safety of the passengers, reports bdnews24.com.
As a result, the authorities have been unable to maintain the schedule of departure times.
While the rail routes to Chattogram and Sylhet have been fairly smooth ahead of Eid, passengers travelling to Rangpur, Rajshahi and Khulna have endured countless delays and rescheduling.
Train services on the northern route were disrupted for over three hours after a Khulna-bound Sundarban Express from Dhaka derailed west of the Bangabandhu Bridge in Tangail.