Train also now turns another risky mode of transport in Bangladesh with fatal mishaps and casualties on the railways taking a worrying upturn -- as if on a par with nightmares on roads and waterways.
Public concern over passenger safety on the popular mode of mass transport got stoked up following two most recent accidents, one in Chittagong and another in Dhaka.
Both still largely remained shrouded in mystery.
Officials, experts and regular passengers have blamed careless driving, lack of updated information over their schedules, inadequate infrastructure, illegal occupation of railway land and inadequate skilled manpower for such a situation.
They suggested immediate measures to have complete automation in the country's most popular communications system.
Level-crossings, where large numbers of accidents occur per annum, are still managed manually. And sometimes these rail-gates lie unmanned, too, like veritable deathtraps.
Official data show a total of 156 people were killed and more than 450 injured in 1100 train accidents across the country over the last five fiscal years.
The highest number of casualties was reported in fiscal year (FY) 2013-2014 with 49 people dead, according to the statistics of Bangladesh Railways (BR).
It was followed by 28 in FY'13, 21 in FY'12, 36 in FY'11 and 22 in FY'10.
Seeking anonymity, a senior BR official said the number of casualties could mount further in the ongoing FY as more than 20 people had already been killed in train accidents over the last six months to November.
The matter of railway safety and security came into spotlight again on December 29 last when a freight lorry rammed a local train adjacent to the Inland Container Terminal (ICT) at Kamalapur Rail Station--in an unusual manner of mishap, as the lorry hit and holed into the train.
Six people lost their lives and 12 others were critically wounded.
Not long before, a train crashed onto the platform in the port city of Chittagong in another out-of-form train accident.
Officer-in-Charge of Kamalapur Railway Police Station Abdul Mazid admitted the fact of increasing accidents in recent years and said most of the mishaps took place in and around the level-crossings handled manually.
"The latest collision at Kamalapur ICT was mainly caused for not having any signal bar to stop vehicles entering the ICT while train passes," he said.
He knows of a number of vulnerable crossings still lacking in such infrastructure.
Collision between moving trains and road transports often leads to casualties and damage of vehicles.
So happens as, in absence of gatemen, drivers of buses and other vehicles often hastily drive onto level crossings even when they see fast-approaching train at a near distance.
Ismail Mollah, who regularly travels to Dhaka from Narayanganj by rail, said neglect of duty by the security men at the crossings often causes tragic mishaps.
"I was on the train recently hit by freight truck of NS Cargo Services Ltd in Kamalapur ICT. There were no guards on the spot of occurrence," the eyewitness added.
An official of BR West Zone covering Rajshahi, Rangpur and Khulna administrative divisions said this is the worst vulnerable zone where more than 757 out of 978 level-crossings lie sans gatemen.
Only 189 of the working gatemen are in permanent staff of Bangladesh Railway while the rest 122 temporary employees working for a daily wage of Tk 150, he said.
There are 271 unauthorised level-crossings also in the zone.
He also said many floating and makeshift traders are still doing business at many points of the rail tracks running through the capital and elsewhere, which could cause more such tragic incidents.
"More than 100 of such risky points have already been identified. BR often launches eviction drive to recover those. But after few weeks, the tracks go under illegal occupation," he added.
When contacted, Transportation Officer of Bangladesh Railway (Dhaka Division) Nazmul Islam said they had already taken level- crossing-rehabilitation project involving Tk 441 million.
The project is aimed ensuring safe and uninterrupted movement of rail and road traffic by upgrading and manning the proposed level-crossing gates.
"Under the project, more than 326 level crossings will be rehabilitated, constructed and upgraded along with necessary gatekeepers," he added.
jubairfe1980@gmail
