When four-year-old Jishan got on the Dhaka-bound Padma Express 10 days ago, all he was excited about was the big train he was going to ride with his brother.
The excitement turned into a nightmare for the family when the train reached the Sirajganj district. As the train was crossing Jamtoli station in the evening of May 5, a stone suddenly flew into their compartment and hit Jishan on the head.
The little boy was severely injured and was rushed to a local hospital in Sirajganj. But his condition deteriorated, and he had to be moved to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), where he had to be placed in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Jishan was treated at the RMCH for seven days before he was released on Sunday. His father, Abdus Salam, says he is not completely out of the woods yet.
On the same day Jishan was hit, 14-year-old Juthi, who was on the Rocket Mail going to Ishwardi upazila, Pabna from Bheramara upazila, Kushtia, was injured by a stone that was thrown at the train.
The Railway Police in Sirajganj arrested a man named Abu Hanif on May 6. When asked why he had thrown stones at the train, he said there was no reason.
No one was arrested in Juthi’s case.
There has been several reports of people throwing stones at running trains around Bangladesh. In some cases, there was minimal damage, while in some other incidents, passengers suffered serious – and sometimes fatal – injuries.
Recently, in a similar incident, someone hurled stones at a train that Speaker of Parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was travelling on during an official tour to the northern part of the country.
The speaker was not hurt by the sudden attack, but it left the passengers in panic.
The Bangladesh Railway authorities are concerned by the recurrence of such incidents, as these attacks are making travelling by train unsafe for passengers – not to mention the damages they cause to the trains themselves.
Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan issued a statement on May 7, where he said the authorities were concerned by the recent incidents of stone hurling at running trains.
He said similar incidents have occurred before, and had killed two of Railways’ own employees: railway engineer Preety Das in 2013, and ticket checker Shikdar Bayezid in 2018.
Throwing stones at trains is a serious offence, the railway minister said in the statement, urging people to hand the perpetrators over to police.
He also urged law enforcement agencies to stay vigilant and see if a group with vested interests were involved.
The current scenario
Around 2,000 people have been injured by stones thrown at running trains between 2013 and 2018, according to railway sources.
During the same period, Bangladesh Railway suffered a loss of around Tk1.75 crore in damages caused to train windowpanes.
This year, so far, five incidents of stone pelting have been reported in the Syedpur region, four in Dhaka, and two in the Chittagong region, according to the Railway Police.
Media reports, however, show a number much larger than what the police have on record.
Requesting anonymity, a railway police source admitted that the real number was indeed bigger, and the police does not have accurate data in this regard.
The Railway authorities have identified 26 spots — 10 in the East Zone and 16 in West Zone — where these incidents occur frequently.
These spots are spread out in the Chittagong metropolitan area, Chittagong district, Feni, Sylhet, Narsingdi, Chuadanga, Natore, Sirajganj, Pabna, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Bogra, Gaibandha, Jaipurhat and Khulna.
According to railway sources, there are 3,000km of train tracks across Bangladesh. Bangladesh Railway has 362 trains and 460 stations across the country.
What is being done?
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Mohammad Maheul Islam, superintendent of police of the Railway Police in the Dhaka region, said they were working to raise awareness among people, especially the locals who live near train tracks.
“We are distributing leaflets among people in different areas. We are also speaking with locals who live in the vulnerable spots.”
However, Md Atiqur Rahman, railway expert and project officer at Work for Better Bangladesh Trust, an NGO, said the Railway authorities efforts are failing to make any changes, as the stone pelting has yet to stop.
“There are many reasons behind this behaviour,” he told Dhaka Tribune. “Usually, children throw stones at trains because it’s a game for them. This is the only form of entertainment for them. The Railway authorities have to take initiatives to make them aware of the risks and losses their game is causing.”
However, he echoed the railway minister in saying that a group with vested interests may be behind these incidents.
“With Eid coming, I will not be surprised if owners of other modes of transportation are found to be involved in this, to create fear among train passengers so they don’t use them,” he said.
As the windowpanes are the parts that get most damaged by stones, glass making companies may also be involved in this, he added.
“The authorities should properly investigate this serious matter,” he added.
Legal repercussions
According to Section 127 of the Railway Act, 1890, which addresses malicious attempt to hurt people travelling by the Railway trains, “if a person unlawfully throws or causes to fall or strike at, against, into or upon any rolling-stock forming part of a train any wood, stone or other matter or thing with intent, or with knowledge that he is likely to endanger the safety of any person in or upon such rolling-stock or in or upon any other rolling-stock forming part of the same train, he shall be punished with transportation for life or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years.
On the other hand, if any person is killed by stones thrown at trains, then the law enforcement agencies can file a murder case against the suspect, who can be sentenced to death or life imprisonment under Section 302 of the Bangladesh Penal Code.
The Railway authorities have not been able to confirm whether anyone has been penalized under this law.