At least four female workers of a readymade garment (RMG) factory were killed and seven others injured when a human hauler collided with a train at Jalalihat area of Chittagong yesterday morning.
The injured RMG workers, who were in the human hauler, said the driver of the vehicle could not hear the whistle of the approaching train, as he was listening to music with headphones.
Police said a Chittagong-bound passenger train from Dohazari of Chandanaish hit the human hauler, which was carrying at least 30 passangers, when it came on the level crossing at Bahir Signal area at around 8:00am.
Md Shahidullah, additional deputy commissioner (north) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, told the Dhaka Tribune that four female workers were killed on the spot while seven others sustained injuries.
The deceased are Yasmin Akhter, 22, of Cox’s Bazar, Ria Akhter, 20, of Chittagong city’s Chandgaon area, Julia Akhter, 30, of Barguna and an unknown female. Most of the victims were workers of Base Textiles in Chittagong city’s Chadgaon Industrial Area.
“Soon after the incident, police nabbed the human hauler driver, Didarul Alam, 25, while agitated workers from different RMG factories gathered around the area and laid siege on the railway tracks,” said Shahidullah.
Later, police rushed to the spot and calmed down the agitated workers. The dead bodies and injured workers were sent to CMCH, he added.
“Of injured seven, five are admitted into Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH),” said CMCH Police Camp In-Charge SI Jahirul Islam.
One of the injured, Sweety Akhter, 16, told the Dhaka Tribune: “When our vehicle got on the rail link, the train was whistling but the driver could not hear as he was listening music with headphones.”
However, ADC Shahidullah, said they had not received such allegation. He quoted the driver, who was also injured in the collision, as saying Didarul took the vehicle on the track assuming that he would be able to cross the level-crossing before the train arrived, but failed as two auto-rickshaws suddenly came in front of the vehicle.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Railway (BR) has formed two probe committees, one headed by BR (East) Chief Engineer Mahbubul Alam and another headed by BR (East) Divisional Traffic Officer Firoz Ifterkhar, to investigate into the incident.
“The committees were asked to submit their reports within three days,” said Jobeda Akhter, public relation officer of BR (East).
“Station Master of Jalalihat Railway Station Nezam Uddin and Titu Kanti Das, points-man of transport department, were suspended as they were not present at their workplaces during the incident,” said Mohammad Makbul Ahmad, general manager of BR (East).
Yasin Faruk, officer-in-charge of Government Railway Police (GRP) Station in Chittagong, said a case has been lodged in connection with the incident.
