Md Atikur Rahman :
Death by accident in Bangladesh is endless. The question is whether these untimely deaths are accidents or structural killings? Numerous people are killed and injured every year in various ways due to road, water and railways, workplaces, fires and chemical explosions. No effective remedy has been seen during the tenure of any government.
One or more investigation committees are routinely formed after each accident. In most cases, those investigation reports are not published. Although published, the recommendation of the investigation committee is not implemented. In many cases, no disciplinary action is taken against those found guilty in the investigation.
In many cases, due to the loss of life and property compensations are not paid. Taking any responsibility by political leaders or ministers is not seen. The same kind of accidents happen again and again and more horribly because the same cause exists.
Hundreds of people are losing their lives in the country every year due to unprotected and unauthoriaed rail crossings. There is also economic loss. These wounds are to be borne by the victims for the rest of their lives. This number is increasing every year.
In recent times, all of these accidents have been caused by gateman’snegligence’ or by unprotected and unauthorised rail crossings without any gateman. However, besides the indifference of the railways, the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident also has these responsibilities.
At least six people were killed in four rail crossings last week.
According to the Railways, a total of 867 accidents have taken place across the country from 2014 to June 2021 this year. 111 people lost their lives in these accidents. Of these, at least 99 people lost their lives in 97 accidents at rail crossings. Almost all of them are passengers of buses, microbuses and small vehicles going to cross the crossing. However, the railway authorities do not keep track of the number of pedestrians who lose their lives during rail crossing.
Although there is a project worth around Tk. 1.5 lakh crore in the railways, there is only a project worth Tk 100 crore for the development of the crossing. The project has also expired. As a result, many of those who were hired as gatekeepers at the crossing have started leaving their jobs. Accidents will increase in the future if new initiatives are not taken to protect rail crossings in this situation. The number of families affected by the loss of relatives will increase.
Although the railway department has been upgraded to a separate ministry, there has been no reduction in railway chaos, anarchy, passenger suffering or accidents in the last one decade. In addition to unprotected rail crossings, experts blame unauthorised access roads and a lack of awareness. We also agree with their views.
According to eyewitnesses, the supporters of a member of Sidhla Union Parishad of Gauripur Upazila collided with the Dhaka-bound Balaka Express train while crossing the Mailakanda rail line near Shyamganj Bazar. One from Kumuria village was killed and four others were injured. Locals rescued the victims and informed the police. There were no gatemen at the railway crossing, locals said.
Besides, another person named Rafiqul Islam (48) was killed when a train hit another easybike in Shyamganj area of Netrokona. Another is undergoing treatment at Mymensingh Medical College (MMEC) Hospital in critical condition. The clash took place at Shyamganj Rail Crossing area of Gauripur-Shyamganj road around noon on Tuesday.
Earlier on Saturday, three people, including a police constable, were killed when a CNG autorickshaw collided head-on with a Demu train at Jhautala Rail Crossing under Khulshi Police Station in Chattogram. According to eyewitnesses, the accident happened due to Gateman’s negligence. Railway police has formed a three-member committee to investigate the cause. The committee has been asked to investigate the cause of the incident and identify the culprits and submit a report within three days.
An easybike driver was killed when he was hit by a train in Narsingdi on Sunday, the day after the incident. The accident took place when the intercity Upakul Express train pulled an easybike about a kilometer away at the outer rail crossing of Khanabari railway station in Raipura upazila of the district. Locals commented, “There was no Getman at the time of the accident.”
Last Monday, a truck and a train collided at Tebaria Rail Crossing, 500 meters south of Natore Railway Station. However, no casualties were reported. After this incident, the train service with the northern region was stopped for about 5 hours. Ashok Chakraborty, Stationmaster of Natore railway station, said, “The barrier at Tebaria rail crossing was lowered at the time of the accident. But the driver of the truck got stuck in the rail crossing illegally.
According to all of them, it is clear that the main reason for most of the train deaths in the country from 85 per cent of rail crossings are unprotected. And due to which the number of deaths is increasing. Which is not acceptable in any way. In conclusion, there is as much reluctance on the part of those concerned to undertake high-cost railway construction projects as there is reluctance on existing railways and railway bridges. As a result, there are 739 km of standard railway lines in the country, which is only 25.23 per cent of the total railway line. According to the data, 402 railway bridges are at risk. Lack of stones in the line, theft of rail clips and nut-bolts.
Railways are at risk due to lack of necessary allocation and equipment. The condition of the railways has been regularly reported in the newspapers for the last few years. According to these reports, the condition of various railway bridges in different parts of the country is dilapidated. Even then, no proper action was taken and the accident did not stop. We hope that the railway authorities will take necessary steps to reduce the number of accidents.
(Md Atikur Rahman, columnist and, former head of Public Relations at BUFT)
