The High Court has directed the authorities to reserve separate compartments for women on trains during Eid-ul-Azha, in accordance with the law.
The order was passed on Tuesday by a High Court bench comprising Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Asif Hasan after hearing a supplementary petition.
Advocate Md Azmal Hossain Khokon represented the petitioner during the hearing.
Speaking afterwards, the lawyer said that under Section 64 of the Railway Act, 1890, every train is required to have a designated carriage for women. In the case of trains travelling more than 50 miles, the carriage must also include a toilet facility. Section 119 of the law provides for penalties for entering the carriage without permission.
As the provisions had not been implemented, lawyer Mumtaz Parveen filed a writ petition in 2021. Subsequently, on March 10, the High Court issued a rule asking why directives should not be given to reserve a designated carriage for female passengers on every passenger train in line with the law.
Referring to Tuesday’s order issued on the supplementary petition linked to the pending rule, Advocate Md Azmal Hossain Khokon said the law already provides for separate carriages for women and the rule regarding its implementation remains under consideration. In this context, the application was filed to ease the suffering of women travellers during Eid.