Over 200 killed by trains in Dhaka in nine months

Over 200 people have been killed in railway accidents in Dhaka alone during the past nine months, according to railway authorities, who blame people’s lack of awareness for such mishaps.

Four people were killed on Thursday in the capital's Karwan Bazar when they were caught between two trains on parallel tracks, where a fish market is held daily.

Railway's Dhaka region Divisional Manager Qamrul Ahsan blamed this illegal market and illegal slums right next to the tracks for the accident.

He attributed their failure to evict them to lack of manpower.

When asked about the death toll on tracks this year, OC of the Kamalapur Government Railway Police Station Rafiqul Islam told bdnews24.com that a total 238 people were killed in last nine months - of them, 192 were male and 46 female.

Some were cases of suicide, he said, while many had perished in train-vehicle collisions.

Apart from trains running between Dhaka city and Narayanganj, Islam said 96 trains run between Kamalapur and Tongi daily and were responsible for these deaths.

Fish traders gather on the railway tracks at Karwan Bazar area every day where Thursday's accident occurred.

Dhaka GRP Station OC Abdul Majid told bdnews24.com that when Inter City Jamuna Express, coming from Jamalpur, was speeding past the area around 9am, people standing on that track moved to the other one.

But they fell between two trains when the Chittagong-bound Inter City Karnaphuli Express crossed the area on the second track.

Apart from the four dead, at least 16 others were injured, Railway's Assistant Director (Operations) Md Saidul Islam had said.

Vendors set up illegal makeshift outlets on the rail tracks at Tejgaon and Karwan Bazar daily. Residents of illegal slums along the tracks are their main customers.

The hawkers remove their goods when trains approach and are back on the tracks once the trains pass.

Railway official Qamrul said their efforts to evict the makeshift markets had not succeeded.

"Drives have been conducted to make ensure such shops are not set up on the tracks or near them at Karwan Bazar but the efforts have failed due to manpower shortage.

"And the hawkers take advantage of this," he told bdnews24.com.

Locals say eviction drives take place regularly to clear the tracks of the market but they are not enough to stop the practice.

A three-member committee was formed during the last Ramadan to prevent the setting up of such makeshift markets near the Tongi and Tejgaon railway crossings.

When asked about the progress, railway official Nur Nabi Kabir said, "The High Court had ordered the railway authorities not to evict slums at the rail-crossing areas long ago. The order is being followed.

Railway accidents take place mainly at level crossings and Dhaka railway division has over 100 such crossings.

Of them, crossings at Tejgaon, Karwan Bazar, Malibagh, Khilgaon, Nakhalparha, and Airport areas in the city have been identified as being risky.

People and vehicles often ignore rules when crossing these points.

On Aug 1, a private car was hit by a train when it tried to cross the line ignoring signal at Malibagh. Three car passengers were injured.

Redowan Biswas, a commuter on the Malibagh route, said the vehicles do not pay heed to train signals. "Many cross the tracks with earphones on," he said.

Dhaka railway's divisional manager Qamrul Ahsan blamed lack of public awareness for these accidents.

He said they were trying to raise awareness to make sure no one died in rail accidents.

Rail police's Deputy Inspector General Kamrul Hasan said they were taking part in the effort by distributing leaflets, posters, banners and stickers among the people.

"We've asked them to abide by the rule at the rail-crossings," he said.