News of a recent derailment of an oil-carrying train -- where seven bogies got off the tracks -- is concerning, and once again brings to attention issues of safety when it comes to rail connectivity. There is further reason for disappointment, as the kerosene and diesel carried by the train were spilled, compromising not only the rail tracks, but the local environment as well.
What perhaps was particularly frustrating was the claim that the derailment occurred due to the train moving too fast -- while this may be true, it is unfortunate that our train speeds, which pale in comparison to speeds that are found in developed nations, particularly those in Europe and East Asia, would be considered a viable reason for derailment.
Indeed, what this series of events led to were a delay of close to a full day, and ultimately, the solution boils down to proper maintenance and ensuring all safety protocols, so as to avoid such mishaps altogether.
We applaud the decision to create a four-member probe committee and hope that the matter is resolved and the full details are made clear, with any probable human error addressed and dealt with. However, this is just one incident among many similar instances of negligence, and it is about time the authorities concerned recognized this.
Train and rail connectivity is an integral component for Bangladesh moving forward in its development journey, but we as a nation simply cannot afford to have derailments as a commonplace incident, risking lives, threatening the environment, and causing severe economic damage.
