A level crossing in Mahmudpur area of Sirajganj town has no protection bar and gateman while vehicles have to cross the railway track amid high risk of accident — FE Photo BOGURA, Feb 22: Unprotected and unauthorised level crossings continue to cause fatal accidents and loss of lives in the northern region of the country.
At least 300 such vulnerable level crossings located at different places in the northern region including Bogura and Sirajganj districts under Bangladesh Railway's West Zone have turned into death traps due to lack of proper surveillance by the authorities concerned.
The list of deaths and injuries caused by frequent accidents is getting longer day by day.
Though cases are lodged after each accident and death, no attention is paid by the authorities concerned; merely some discussions are held for a few days.
There is an allegation that the authorities tactfully avoid their responsibilities just after hanging some warning signs near the risky sites.
According to the Bangladesh Railway's West Zone, there are about 1,423 level crossings on the 1,568 km railway under Pakshi and Lalmonirhat divisions in the West Zone, of which about 300 are completely unprotected. Those have been built illegally.
Surprisingly, most of them have been constructed at the initiative of the government organisations like LGED, municipality or city corporation and RHD (Roads and Highways Department) without any survey or verification while many have been set up by the locals.
At least 250 to 300 level crossings in the area are being used without gatemen or even protection bars.
On the contrary, confusion has arisen over the ownership of the level crossings.
Who is the real owner of the level crossings, who will look after those and who will take responsibility after any accident; such questions have brewed among some government institutions including Bangladesh Railway.
In the current situation, accidents are occurring almost regularly on different level crossings claiming fresh lives and crippling many people, including women and children.
The railway authorities also do not have headache in this regard. They blame each other and speak without responsibility.
The railway sources said about 300 people have lost their lives and many have become crippled in several accidents in the region in last one decade.
Bahadur Mian, driver of a passenger bus, said, "We are forced to cross unprotected railway tracks risking life. If the illegal level crossings can be made protected by appointing some gatemen, number of accidents will come down largely. But, who will bell the cat?"
Seeking anonymity, a senior official of the Bangladesh Railway Western Zone said, "Several organisations like LGED, municipality and RHD build level crossings here and there as per their needs ignoring railway's restriction. They don't care in case of taking approval. About 50 percent of the illegal level crossings have been established by RHD, LGED, union parishad and city corporation or municipality. In this situation, we have nothing to do."
There are 2,789 level crossings across the country amidst 2,955.53 km railways under Bangladesh Railway. Of them, 1,468 are authorised by the railway while 1,321 run without permission.
According to sources at the Bogura Railway, there are 48 level crossings on the 70 km long railway from Santahar to Sonatola in Bogura district.
Of them, some 30 level crossings have gatemen and barriers while the rest 18 have no protection bars or gateman.
Apart from these, 25 more small and risky unauthorised level crossings have been found in the district. Some 14 trains ply daily on the 70 km railway in Bogura district, sources said.
On the other hand, there are 46 approved level crossings on the 94 km long railway from Ishwardi in Pabna to Bangabandhu Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge in Sirajganj under West Zone of the Bangladesh Railway.
Of them, only 30 have gatemen while the rest 16 have remained unprotected.
Besides, 10 more illegal level crossings have been identified at several places, which are still out of the government record.
Only warning or notice boards have been set up at some risky points by the authorities concerned of the railway to make people aware.
Thousands of vehicles and innumerable pedestrians cross the railway tracks regularly risking lives.
Wasim Kumar Talukder, director general of Bangladesh Railway West Zone in Rajshahi said, "Accidents occur frequently due to installation of level crossings here and there without approval of the authorities concerned. Lack of coordination between the government organisations like Roads and Highways Department, LGED and several municipalities are the main reasons behind the establishment of the illegal level crossings. We however, are conducting survey to bring all the level crossings under surveillance."
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