Unsafe level
crossing
Death and injury due to being hit or cut by a moving train is a regular occurrence. Every year more than a thousand people die in such accidents. In most cases of road accidents, faulty vehicles, excessive speeds and driver inefficiencies can be blamed. But in the case of the mentioned train accident, almost the whole responsibility is due to the unawareness and over-excitement of the public.
By law, entry of anyone other than the designated person within 20 feet on either side of the railroad is strictly prohibited. Also, the entry of pedestrians or vehicles inside the closed rail gate is similarly prohibited. But without heeding the law unconscious people try to cross the line even after hearing the whistle of the train. In many cases, seeing the train coming, many people rush to cross the line. On the other hand, the enthusiasts do the adventurous act of taking selfies while standing on or right next to the rail tracks. Many are busy with gossiping sitting on the tracks or by the side. In these cases, the slightest lack of attention or even the slightest error in the calculation of time becomes an occasion to lose precious lives.
Strict enforcement of the law alone is not enough to prevent such acts. Therefore, people’s awareness and practice of respecting the law is essential. Only then, tragic accidents like death or paralysis will be stopped.
Abu Faruk
Sadar, Bandarban
Design need-based education system
It is not almost a new thing that education and industry are among the most fundamental factors for a country to develop. Education is the backbone of a nation and therefore, it may not be an overstatement to say that industries are at the heart of national development.
Unfortunately, we are not even concerned about our sheer inability to design our educational system as per the needs of our industries.
We must think, why our universities are producing depressed and unskilled graduates who remain unemployed or underemployed for long, while our industries have to depend on expensive foreign expertise.
Shahedul Islam
Dhaka University
