Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
The repeated incidents of throwing stones at running trains have made passengers worried due to insecurity during travel across the country.
The Bangladesh Railway (BR) authorities are concerned for one after another stoning incidents on trains, Railway Ministry official sources said.
Currently, such incidents became more frequent on Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Rajshahi, Dhaka-Mymensingh routes. The BR identified 66 spots – 36 in east and 30 in west zones – under 14 districts where such incidents were frequent. The districts are Chattogram, Feni, Sylhet, Narsinghdi, Chuadanga, Natore, Sirajganj, Pabna, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Bogura, Gaibandha, Jaipurhat and Khulna, they said.
According to Dhaka Engineers’ Club (DEC), a non-profit voluntary platform, more than two hundred commuters, including Railway staff, were injured in more than 15 incidents of stone-throwing in the last 12 months.
In latest, at least three youths were detained by a team of Government Railway Police (GRP) from Akhaura in Brahmanbaria district on Saturday.
A Brahmanbaria court has sent them to jail as they were produced in his court on charge of throwing stones on a running train, report our District Correspondent.
The youths are Laden, 19, Hridoy, 18, and, Akit, 20, all hailed from Brahmanbari district.
Earlier in August, a five-year old boy was critically injured when a stone thrown from outside hit him inside Padma Express on Rajshahi-Dhaka route.
Railway police already arrested one in this connection while the child was hospitalised and is still in critical condition.
According to GRP, Padma Express reached Kodda under Sirajganj Railway police station when the accused Md Abu Hanif, 35, resident of Kodda Krishnapur under Saidabad Police Station in Sirajganj, pelted stones at the train.
The train passenger Jishan, son of Md Abdus Salam, resident of Sonaidanga under Atrai thana in Naogaon, sustained severe head injury.
Also a Railway employee succumbed to his injuries on June 11 after a 41-day battle for life at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). Bayezid Shikder, a Bangladesh Railway Inspector, was on duty aboard a Benapole commuter train, on the Khulna-Benapole route on April 30.
The Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan has said in a statement that he, along with his Ministry, was very worried as in the past several weeks some perpetrators were making train journeys unsafe by throwing stones at running trains.
About 2,000 people were victims of stone throwing across the country in the past six years while the BR incurred a loss of about Tk 1.75 crore repairing damaged windowpanes.
By considering the heinous incident, Railway authorities to make people aware by running an awareness campaign to inform the mass people thru Jumma prayers and publishing and broadcasting advertisement on the media, according to 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 people have died from the such injuries. To avert the accidents, the Railway Acts should be implemented and awareness should be raised among the people,” Mozammel said.
According to the Railways Act, 1890, if a person unlawfully throws or causes to fall or strike at, against, into, or upon any rolling-stock forming part of a train, any wood, stone or other matter or thing with intent then he or shall be punished with transportation for life or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years.
