Ladders 'for hire' for rooftop passengers!

Earning bucks by hiring out ladders for climing rooftop of trains by a group of people at Jamalpur railway station has now become a regular feature. PHOTO: STAR

A group of people hurriedly set five ladders with the edge of the roof of Dhaka-bound Commuter-2 as soon as the train from Dewanganj reached Jamalpur railway station afternoon as a section of people arrange passengers' travel on the rooftop in exchange of money.
Defying the risk of accidents, the ill-practice has continued for long, thanks to the negligence of railway authorities.
On November 26, Akanda Ali, 60, son of Kadam Ali of Haripur village in Melandah upazila of Jamalpur district, died after falling from the roof of a train in the upazila.  
On October 12, Shahjahan Siraj, 22, son of Babul Hossain of Roumari upazila in Kurigram district, also a first year BBA student of a private university, died as he fell from the roof of Teesta Express, being hit with a girder at Jhenai Bridge in Jamalpur.
"We help passengers to get on and down from the train roof. Just now I have earned Tk 60 by helping 12 passengers get on the rooftop with a ladder. We do it often, without any interference from railway police,” said a local youth during this correspondent's visit yesterday afternoon.
Khokon Sarkar, officer in charge of Jamalpur Railway Police Station, said, "A section of people often travel on the train roof, despite different punitive measures.”