Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
Incidents of pelting of stones by unidentified miscreants on running trains have turned out to be life threatening for the passengers and staff of Bangladesh Railway (BR).
The such incident has already horrified the travelers as the BR authorities failed to take any effective step for prevention of stone pelting.
The countrymen also fade up over the repeated assurance of the authorities concerned to tackle the incident to save the lives of passengers.
According to BR, at least 70 incidents of stone throwing have occurred in the last 10 months, leaving two dead and 40 others injured.
The BR identified 66 spots — 36 in east
and 30 in west zones – under 14 districts where such incidents were frequent.
The districts are Chittagong, Feni, Sylhet, Narsingdi, Chuadanga, Natore, Sirajganj, Pabna, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Bogura, Gaibandha, Joypurhat and Khulna.
On Monday, two incidents of stone throwing on two intercity trains occurred in Joypurhat and Bogura districts. Two separate General Diaries (GDs) have been filed with the Santahar Railway Police Station, said Najrul Islam, Sub-Inspector (SI) Governemnt Railway Police (GRP), Santahar.
A passenger was severely injured when some unidentified miscreants pelted stones on Dhaka-bound intercity train Panchagarh Expresses at Jaforpur under Akkelpur upazila of Joupurhat in the afternoon. Later, the train stopped for emergency in Natore and the injured man was rushed to the Natore Sadar Hospital in a pool of blood. The victim has been identified as Jahurul Islam, 32, from Dinajpur, the SI said.
On the other hand, miscreants threw stones on Khulna-bound intercity train Rupsa Express at Santahar and three windows of the train were broken, Najrul Islam.
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan on Monday said that his ministry was very worried as some miscreants threw stones at two intercity running trains between the distance at about 50 km within eight hours.
About 2,000 people were victims of stone throwing across the country in the past six years while Bangladesh Railway incurred a loss of about Tk 1.75 crore repairing the damaged windowpanes, the minister said.
Railway was now making people aware by running an awareness campaign to inform the masses about the damages incurred in such incidents in different areas, he said.
We are making people aware by engaging with them at Jumma prayers and publishing and broadcasting advertisement on the media, he added.
He said throwing stones at running trains was a serious offence and urged the locals to handover the perpetrators to the police.
He also instructed the law enforcement agencies to find out if these incidents were conspiracies of any vested quarter and take strict legal actions against them.
Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, Secretary General of Bangladesh Passengers’ Welfare Association, said, “It is a matter of grave concern that the incidents of stone pelting are rising alarmingly. More than a 100 people have sustained injuries and some 12 died from the incidents. To avert the accidents, the railway acts should be implemented and awareness should be raised among the people.”
Incidents of pelting of stones by unidentified miscreants on running trains have turned out to be life threatening for the passengers and staff of Bangladesh Railway (BR).
The such incident has already horrified the travelers as the BR authorities failed to take any effective step for prevention of stone pelting.
The countrymen also fade up over the repeated assurance of the authorities concerned to tackle the incident to save the lives of passengers.
According to BR, at least 70 incidents of stone throwing have occurred in the last 10 months, leaving two dead and 40 others injured.
The BR identified 66 spots — 36 in east
and 30 in west zones – under 14 districts where such incidents were frequent.
The districts are Chittagong, Feni, Sylhet, Narsingdi, Chuadanga, Natore, Sirajganj, Pabna, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Bogura, Gaibandha, Joypurhat and Khulna.
On Monday, two incidents of stone throwing on two intercity trains occurred in Joypurhat and Bogura districts. Two separate General Diaries (GDs) have been filed with the Santahar Railway Police Station, said Najrul Islam, Sub-Inspector (SI) Governemnt Railway Police (GRP), Santahar.
A passenger was severely injured when some unidentified miscreants pelted stones on Dhaka-bound intercity train Panchagarh Expresses at Jaforpur under Akkelpur upazila of Joupurhat in the afternoon. Later, the train stopped for emergency in Natore and the injured man was rushed to the Natore Sadar Hospital in a pool of blood. The victim has been identified as Jahurul Islam, 32, from Dinajpur, the SI said.
On the other hand, miscreants threw stones on Khulna-bound intercity train Rupsa Express at Santahar and three windows of the train were broken, Najrul Islam.
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan on Monday said that his ministry was very worried as some miscreants threw stones at two intercity running trains between the distance at about 50 km within eight hours.
About 2,000 people were victims of stone throwing across the country in the past six years while Bangladesh Railway incurred a loss of about Tk 1.75 crore repairing the damaged windowpanes, the minister said.
Railway was now making people aware by running an awareness campaign to inform the masses about the damages incurred in such incidents in different areas, he said.
We are making people aware by engaging with them at Jumma prayers and publishing and broadcasting advertisement on the media, he added.
He said throwing stones at running trains was a serious offence and urged the locals to handover the perpetrators to the police.
He also instructed the law enforcement agencies to find out if these incidents were conspiracies of any vested quarter and take strict legal actions against them.
Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, Secretary General of Bangladesh Passengers’ Welfare Association, said, “It is a matter of grave concern that the incidents of stone pelting are rising alarmingly. More than a 100 people have sustained injuries and some 12 died from the incidents. To avert the accidents, the railway acts should be implemented and awareness should be raised among the people.”
