Banashua Bridge turns into a death trap

Our Correspondent

CUMILLA, Sept 14: The Banashua Bridge under Cumilla Sadar has become a death trap to the local pedestrians who use it to save time on their way home or go to the local market near the bridge.

According to Cumilla Railway Police Station, five people were killed in the area till August this year.

Except the train track, there is no extra place on the bridge that the pedestrians can take shelter when a train passes.

Police sources said on August 25, body of a Buddhist monk, Shubha Bikash Chakma, was recovered from the Gomti river below the bridge.

On August 23, two teenagers were killed when a train ran over them on the south side of the bridge. The teenagers were identified as Swapnil Hoque Adittiya, 13, son of Monirul Hoque from Shashongacha in Cumilla City, and Shatu Roy, 15, daughter of Subol Roy from Dharmapur in the same area.

On August 22, bodies of three people, including two unidentified ones, were recovered from the Gomti, below the bridge, evidently hit by a train.

Abul Basher, a local, said people often cross the bridge on foot.

Cumilla Railway Police Station in-charge, Sub-Inspector (SI) Mizbaul Alam Choudhury said the number of fatal accidents happening is increasing in the area for different reasons.

He said careless commuters take risks to save time. An increasing number of shops have been allowed to be set up in the area which is attracting customers, lack of rail gates on the roads, and no pedestrian walkways on the railway bridge were the main reasons, he added.

SI Mizbaul said, "We have informed the Chittagong SP about the rising number of accidents on the bridge."

He expressed the hope that an effective steps would be taken in this connection.

Liakat Ali Majumdar, deputy assistant engineer of Cumilla Railway said, "It is illegal for pedestrians to walk on the bridge. But because of local markets and residences are close to it, people regularly use it, leading to frequent accidents. There will be a new bridge replacing the current one by 2020."

"The bridge will have a walkway for local pedestrians. We hope the number of accidents will fall then", he added.

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