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A 2021 meeting between the Local Government Division and the railways ministry decided to undertake a project to identify unsafe level crossings in the country and fix them, but there has been slow progress.
The railway authorities say there are 2,856 level crossings in the country and 1,495 of them are authorised. Of the authorised crossings, 632 are unmanned.
Railway sources say the actual number of unauthorised level crossings will be higher.
Several inter-ministerial meetings have been held between the Local Government Division and the railways ministry to identify these unauthorised crossings and take steps to make them safe.
After the latest meeting held early last year, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) was directed to undertake the project. Md Abu Jafor Mia, chief engineer of railway (east), said Bangladesh Railway covers around 3,000 kilometres of rail lines and there are 2,856 level crossings, meaning there is a crossing in every one kilometre on average.
He said more than 90 per cent of the crossings are built on LGED-constructed roads. “The latest inter-ministerial meeting decided that the responsibility to make these crossings safe lies with the LGED. A joint survey of the railways ministry and the LGED is underway to identify unauthorised and unsafe crossings.”
The latest estimates show among more than 1,300 unauthorised level crossings in the country, 516 are on LGED-constructed roads. There are 363 crossings on roads built by union parishads while it is 34 for city corporations, 13 for district councils, and three for the Chattogram port. Apart from the Chattogram port, the other bodies are under the Local Government Division.
Railway officials say government agencies constructed roads adjacent to railway lines without consulting, resulting in so many unauthorised level crossings that lead to accidents and casualties.
The level crossing where 11 microbus passengers lost their lives in Chattogram’s Mirsharai on Friday has been built on a road constructed by the LGED. It is an approved crossing, and a gateman was on duty at the time of the accident.
ASM Mohsin, executive engineer of the LGED head office, said they had initiated the survey on unsafe level crossings jointly with the railway authorities as per the latest inter-ministerial meeting’s decision but there had been little progress so far. Blaming the railway authorities’ indifference for the sluggishness of the survey, he said every LGED district office had been directed to prepare a report along with the railways ministry. “But the field offices told us the railway authorities have not responded properly.”
He also said there was a plan to prepare a development project proposal at the end of the survey, which was also in limbo.
Meanwhile, the authorised level crossings are not being managed properly due to a lack of manpower. That is why accidents occur at those spots as well.
Bangladesh Railway on Saturday suspended Saddam Hossain, gateman of the level crossing where Friday’s fatal train accident took place, for dereliction of duty.
Besides, Sub-Inspector Zahirul Islam filed a complaint against Saddam with the Chattogram railway police in the morning. After that, a first information report was lodged against Saddam for negligence, said Chattogram railway police Superintendent Hasan Chowdhury.
“Stern action will be taken against Saddam if he is found guilty in the probe report,” he added.
