Probe recent accidents at level crossings

Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan has directed the authorities concerned to investigate several recent railway accidents in which trucks hit trains at level crossings, most of which are unauthorised.

He also asked the railway police and officials to take legal action against the truck drivers responsible for the accidents.

The minister gave the directives at a meeting yesterday as the railway saw 14 accidents in August alone. In the last eight months, 82 railway accidents took place and at least one person was killed, said railway sources.

Though the meeting was convened mainly to discuss the railway's services and stopping sale of tickets on the black market, the issues regarding railway accidents dominated it.

"Several railway accidents took place one after another in which trucks hit trains. I have asked the authorities to probe whether there was any conspiracy behind this or those were purely accidental," Sujan told The Daily Star yesterday.

A helper was killed as a truck hit a running Khulna mail train while trying to cross an unmanned level crossing at Kazirhat point near Chilahati Railway Station in Nilphamari on August 24.

Earlier, at least five people were injured on August 13 as a lorry carrying gas collided with a train near Mirerbazar area in Gazipur.

Directives have been given to the railway police and the railway authorities to take legal action as per the Railways Act against the drivers of the vehicles involved in the accidents, the minister said.

Sujan also said many of the accidents took place at unauthorised level crossings.

According to meeting sources, when the minister enquired about the August 24 accident, a BR official informed that a case was filed a day after the incident.

The minister expressed discontent as the police officials concerned could not give any answer to what particular action was taken afterwards, they said.

Bhubon Chandra Biswas, additional secretary (administration) of the ministry, asked the railway authorities concerned to find out the people responsible for the accidents, said the sources.

He also asked railway officials to be more alert so that such accidents can be avoided.

Sardar Shahadat Ali, additional director general (operations) of Bangladesh Railway, said the minister directed them to identify the reasons behind the accidents and take legal action.

Railway sources said many of the accidents took place at unauthorised level crossings which were unmanned. Even many of the authorised level-crossing do not have gatemen.

According to railway documents, there are 1,149 unauthorised level crossings which have no gatemen.

At least nine government bodies were involved in setting up the unauthorised level crossings across the country, with the Local Government Engineering Department constructing about half of those -- 516.

Out of the 1,412 authorised level crossings, 964 (70 percent) do not have dedicated manpower, shows the documents presented at a BR meeting in January this year.

Yesterday's meeting was attended by, among others, Railways Secretary Salim Reza and BR Director General Dhirendra Nath Majumder.