Hefajat men unleashed mayhem in Brahmanbaria during their hartal on Sunday after being divided into seven groups, according to locals and police sources.

Five of the groups damaged and carried out arson attacks on establishments, including the land office, police lines, a music academy, municipality office and public library. They also attacked a Hindu temple and the local press club.

All these establishments are situated on the northern side of the Town Khal (canal).

The other two groups carried out attacks on establishments on the other side of the canal. They ransacked the district council building, torched vehicles and houses of some Awami League and Chhatra League leaders.

One of the groups blocked rail tracks in Dakshin Poirotola area of the town around 10:00am on Sunday, forcing Sonar Bangla Express to stop.

Later, the Hefajat men attacked the train, leaving at least 10 passengers injured, said locals and railway sources.

The Hefajat supporters damaged the locomotive, broke 117 windows, and vandalised 15 carriages of the train, said Brahmanbaria Station Master Md Shoyeb Ahmed.

Police have collected CCTV footage. After analysing the footage, they believe Hefajat men carried out the attacks in a planned way after being divided into seven group.

A police officer in Brahmanbaria also showed this correspondent some of the footage.

Trail of devastation by Hefajat activists could be seen everywhere in the town. The burnt smell was still in the air.

The music academy, founded in memory of the subcontinent's top most music maestro Sur-Samrat Alauddin Khan, and its instruments were completely destroyed.

The establishments that suffered the brunt of the Hefajat mayhem also include the bungalows of the district judge, the deputy commissioner, and the superintendent of police, railway station and rail police outpost, civil surgeon's office, fisheries office, circuit house, Sadar upazila land office, Water Development Board office, Zilla parishad and municipal office, Ansar and VDP office, Khatihata Highway police station, Ashuganj's Syed Nazrul Islam Bridge toll plaza and it's police outpost, Muktijodhha Sangsad building, fire service office and Directorate of Education Engineering office, said the district police in an email to journalists.

Besides, police issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon, saying 23 vehicles, including microbus and motorcycles, were burned in the SP office's garage and police outpost-2.

In the fire, a machine of the NID server office was also badly damaged.

On Sunday, Brahmanbaria turned into a battle ground. A train and a temple where Dol Purnima puja was being held couldn't escape Hefajat's wrath.

Hefajat activists attacked and ransacked Brahmanbaria's biggest temple Sree Sree Anandamayee Kalibari Mandir. They trashed and broke the idols of Krishna and the Goddess Kali. The donation box for the temple was looted, while the artifacts used for ceremonies were ransacked and strewn about.

Nine cases have so far been filed over the violence in the district. A total of 16,500 people have been accused in the cases.

Meanwhile, an AL delegation led by party's Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif visited the affected houses of AL leaders and BCL President Al Nahian Khan Joy visited the damaged houses of the leaders of the student organisation.

After visiting the press club, Hanif told reporters that BNP-Jamaat men were also involved in the attacks.