RAJSHAHI, July 13: Train journey on various routes in the West Zone of Bangladesh Railway has turned risky because of frequent untoward incidents.
Recovery of dead bodies from train roof, drugs, clash among railway staff inside compartments, theft of mobile phone sets and a rape attempt on a school student inside a train toilet have made caused much worry among the passengers.
Moreover, passengers often receive fatal injuries being hit with stones thrown from outside.
The trains plying the Rajshahi-Dhaka route mostly experience such happenings.
According to sources, in the past four years, seven dead bodies were recovered by GRP from the roofs of Rajshahi-bound Silk City and Padma Express trains.
What caused the victims' death could not be known.
There took place several incidents of clash and scuffle among train passengers, TTE and GRP members over ticket-less travelling.
Passengers also have to stay in fear about possible
extortion by transgender community members.
Aminul Islam, officer-on-charge of Ishwardi GRP Station, said some untoward incidents were noticed in the trains recently.
Mehedi, a passenger on Padma Express train, said he used to visit Rajshahi once a week by the train and could see mismanagement and insecurity in the train compartments.
Often there are seen scuffle and altercation among passengers over taking seats.
He added such incidents occur often in Padma Express and Silk City Express trains.
A large number of passengers are seen to board trains without tickets.
Recently an attempt was made to violate a school student inside toilet in Silk City Express train.
General passengers of the train caught accused Mominul Islam (26) red handed and handed him over to GRP.
In another incident, the body of a young man was recovered from a train bound for Rajshahi from Dhaka.
The train was taken for cleaning near Rajshahi station and then cleaners spotted the body.
In addition, several other dead bodies were recovered from inside trains and their roofs.
Railway authorities failed to give any clear cause of the victims' deaths.
The rail tracks and railway stations stay littered with garbage giving out bad ordour.
Though several hundred cleaners are employed under West Zone railway, it is not clear why the authorities cannot keep the stations free form garbage, train passenger Abdul Hye questioned.
He said if passengers feel unsafe and insecure while travelling by Rajshahi-Dhaka trains, what can be the condition of the passengers travelling by other mail and local trains can easily be assumed.
Shah Newaz, chief commercial manager of the West Zone Railway, said it was not possible to assign sufficient or required number of attendants in all compartments of Silk City and the Padma Express trains because of man power shortage.
He also said Dhumketu Express Train which departs at midnight from Dhaka has no attendant shortage because it runs on private management.
He, however, expressed the hope that such problem will be resolved soon.
bwjs123@gmail.com
