A large number of level-crossings have illegally sprung up over the years in the eastern zone of Bangladesh Railway allegedly due to lax monitoring of the authorities concerned.
The unapproved level-crossings have increased the risk of accidents by manifolds as some 50 trains leave and reach Chittagong Railway Station every day.
According to the Bangladesh Railway, over 65% level crossings situated in eastern zone of Bangladesh Railway were constructed without approval from the authorities concerned.
A total of 811 out of 1,245, rail crossings have been constructed illegally by different government agencies as well as private organisations, said railway sources.
It is alleged that most accidents occur at the level crossings due to negligence of on-duty gatekeepers.
On December 31 last year, a driver was killed as a train rammed into a private car at Bengal Bridge level crossing of Fakirhat area in Sitakunda upazila.
“Primarily we have come to know that on-duty gatekeeper was absent when the accident occurred at Fakirhat level crossing which is also illegal,” said Himangshu Das, officer-in-charge of Government Railway Police, Chittagong.
On February 12 last year, a person was killed and 15 others were injured when a train hit a bus at Ispahani rail crossing at AK Khan in the city. The railway officials blamed two on-duty gatekeepers who were absent during the accident.
As per the Railways Act, 1890, the private organisations which constructed the level-crossings without obtaining permission from the railway authorities have to bear all the relevant cost, including posting gatekeepers at the crossings for a period of minimum 10 years. After passing the period of 10 years, the responsibility of supervising the crossings falls on the shoulders of the railway authorities.
Md Shahidul Islam, chief enginner of the BR (east zone), said: “The unapproved level crossings have turned to death traps. Unapproved level crossing poses a serious risk of collisions between trains and road vehicles. We are gravely concerned with the increasing number of fatal accidents taking place every year. We have to face vehement opposition from the local people whenever we try to take action against the unapproved crossings,” said the chief engineer, adding that illegal crossings were constructed mainly in high population density areas.
“Most of the approved level crossings were constructed during the construction of roads by the Roads and Highways Division, LGED, city corporations, municipalities, district and union parishads,” added the chief engineer, adding that the dearth of gatekeepers was causing frequent accidents at the level crossings.
“We have undertaken some concrete measures in this regard. We are hopeful that with the successful implementation of the measures, the number of accidents would come down to a significant extent,” said the chief engineer.
According to railway sources, the government undertook two separate projects to lower the number of accidents caused by exposed level crossings. Under the projects at a total cost of Tk97.18 crore, Bangladesh Railway will improve 346 level crossings in its east zone and 326 in west zone.
Under the project, a total of 1,038 gate keepers will be outsourced in the eastern zone while 851 gate keepers will be recruited at the western part of the Bangladesh Railway.
