Three probe committees in their reports have held loco master, assistant loco master and guard of Dhaka-bound Turna- Nishita responsible for the Mondobagh train accident at Kasba, Brahmanbaria on November 12 midnight.
Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujon disclosed this during a press briefing at Rail Bhaban on Wednesday based on the three reports submitted to the Ministry of Railway this week.
Rail Secretary M Mofazzel Hossain and Director General of Bangladesh Railway (BR) Mohammad Shamsuzzaman were present at the briefing.
The minister said findings of all the three reports are almost same revealing that locomotive master (LM), assistant locomotive master (ALM) and guard of Intercity train 741 Turna- Nishita proceeded without following signals properly.
He said two other reports of the committees formed under district administration and an independent agency are yet to be submitted.
LM Taser Uddin, ALM Opu Dey and guard Mohammad Abdur Rahman have already been suspended and departmental actions will be taken through following procedures of the BR, the minister added.
He said following administrative procedure punishment against the accused staffs will be taken.
Replying to questions, the Railway Minister said from different queries, it is leant that there was no fog on that night for which they might have missed the signals.
"It is a negligence of duty. When the LM understood the imminent danger, he tried to stop the train 30 second before the accident," he said adding that the train was earlier running at a speed of 72 kilometres per hour.
Replying to another question, he also said the train was moving at a speed of 70 kmph but slowed down to 25 kmph before it hit the Chittagong-bound Udanyan Express. However, for some reasons he did not notice the danger signal, he added.
The minister also confirmed that the LM was an experienced driver and got resting time.
Official sources said all the three accused staffs were held responsible according to rules of Bangladesh Railway Act. The LM is held responsible under the general and subsidiary rules 6, 56, 122, 124 and 126 of BR Act.
All these rules state the responsibility of the LM to follow signals, stop train in case of finding fault in any signals etc. When asked about the responsibility of guard who sits on the back of the train, the officials said he also follows the signal and alerts the LM and ALM under rules 121, 124 and 125 through his break and blows whistle three times.
Sources also said the LM was of grade 1 and experienced for more than 25 years. He is scheduled to go for retirement after four years.
The ALM was recruited five years ago and was under grade 1. The guard was also of grade 2 having experience in goods and local trains.
The Minister said all the three reports have placed some recommendations including setting of CC camera at locomotives, regular training of railway officials and employees in operations, immediate filling up of the vacant posts for employees for smooth operation of trains
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