Rail gate or death trap!

As the people of the country were enjoying their Eid holidays happily, sad news about the bus-train tragic accident at Kaliganj in Jheniadeh district shook us with great pain. Eleven people lost their lives when they were returning from a wedding programme.  Media reports suggested that the mishap occurred due to the negligence of lineman. All passengers of the ill fated bus were injured and the death toll might go up.

The railway crossing was unmanned and left open. The concerned authority should punish those who are found guilty of gross negligence which took away 11 valuable lives.  

The train hit the bus and dragged it 500 yards along the tracks. We regularly read about rail crossings becoming deadly traps. Even in the capital Dhaka we see serious accidents taking place at the rail crossings.

We need to increase safety measures in the rail crossings so that no life is lost. Many rail crossings even do not have any gateman and one can only see cautionary warning written on a board.

Let the Kaligonj accident be an eye opener for the authorities. We do not like to see such tragic incidents in future.

Rumana Sharmeen

Dhaka University