Nearly 100 scheduled trips were cancelled and thousands of passengers got stranded in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Bhairab, Iswardi and other busy stations.

Railway employees brought out series of protest processions in the capital and elsewhere, demanding exemplary punishment to the killers.

Train operation resumed after the authorities had assured the striking employees of actions against the killers and compensating the guard's family. The first train of the day, Chandpur-bound inter-city Sagorika Express, left Chittagong station at 3:00pm.

Unknown hoodlums strangled guard Bashan Chandra Aich, 50, on the Dhaka-Chittagong inter-city train, Turna Nishita.

It is suspected that the guard was killed when the train was between Airport Station and Khanabari near Bhairab at around 1 o'clock Wednesday night.

Railway sources believe the killers must have got on the roof of the train at Airport Station and later entered the guard's room to strangle him.

The train driver first suspected something wrong as he got no signal from the guard. A search was launched as the train reached Bhairab station and the body was found. It was then sent to Kishoregonj hospital morgue for autopsy.

Police and railway officials believe that an organised gang of smugglers might have committed the crime as the guard refused to help them.

In the morning, the news of the murder enraged the railway staff who staged demonstrations at the Chittagong railway building and crippled the rail station by forcing the staff out of their workplace.

The agitated demonstrators locked the railway head office and Chittagong station.

Accusing the Railway Police of nurturing smuggling syndicates on all train routes, the employees demanded gradual withdrawal of the cops. They also demanded three katha of land to the family of the victim and an award of Tk 2 lakh in recognition of the honesty of the guard.

The authorities cancelled all scheduled trains on the Chittagong-Dhaka and Chandpur-Sylhet routes.

Thousand of passengers got stranded at Chittagong railway station. Long queues developed in front of ticket counters as passengers scrambled to return their tickets.

Railway high-ups talked to Communications Minister Nazmul Huda who reportedly declared an award of Tk 1 lakh for the murdered guard for his honesty, railway sources said.

It was also decided that the spouse or any of the two children of the guard would get job at railway.

The guard's body was taken to his village home at Nizampur under Mirersarai upazila in Chittagong at around 5:00pm for cremation.