Stone-pelting on trains rising; authority indifferent

• Bangladesh records at least 150 incidents of throwing stones at trains per year
• The number is five times higher than that in India
• In January-September this year, 110 incidents were recorded

Despite being a country with less than 3,000km of railway tracks, Bangladesh records at least 150 incidents of throwing stones at trains per year, which often cause injuries to unsuspecting victims and sometimes even results in deaths.

The number is five times higher than that in India that has a railway network of about 1 lakh kilometres. 

Of the 76 incidents recorded by Indian railway in the last three years, 21 were legally dealt with, while in Bangladesh such incidents are swept under the rug as acts of "unidentified miscreants."

Between January and September this year, 110 incidents of pelting stones at moving trains were recorded, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said yesterday.

According to the BRPS, on November 19 last year, six people, including a guard, were killed by stones being thrown at a freight train.

Earlier, a pelted stone killed a railway employee, Bayezid Shikder, on June 11, 2018.

Also, in 2013, Engineer Preeti Das, 27, was killed after being hit by a stone thrown at a train she was travelling to Chattogram.

According to section 127 of the Bangladesh Railway Act 1890, any perpetrator found guilty of pelting stones at trains is to be given a life sentence and be fined up to Tk10,000.

Also, as per the provision, if someone dies after being hit by the stones, there are laws for awarding the death penalty under section 302.

Till now, no one has been punished under any of these laws.

Such life-threatening acts attributed to "unidentified miscreants" having "fun" have been in discussions since the latest incident severely injured the eyes of a loco-master of an express train on 3 September.

Plans in the making

The railways minister yesterday appeared before the media with his plan to combat the mindless stone-throwing at running trains.

He said 29 passengers and railway employees have been injured from January to September this year after being hit by stones thrown at moving trains.

In this regard, Sujan said, "This is an issue of grave concern but we often find it difficult to identify those responsible. However, we caught some stone-pelters, but the problem is that most of them were floating minors or had some form of mental disability, so no legal action could be taken against them."

The minister said the issue was being taken seriously and 20 areas prone to such incidents across 14 districts had been identified, adding that from now on, tougher action would be taken against offenders.

The 20 areas listed include: Fazilpur-Kalidaha area in Feni; Narsingdi, Jinardi and Ghorashal areas in Narsingdi; Abdulpur station area in Natore; Chuadanga outer station in Chuadanga; Shahid S Mansur Ali, Bangabandhu Bridge West, Salap, Ullapara and Jamtoil stations in Sirajganj; Muladuli, Bhangura and Baralpur stations in Pabna; Kismat-Ruhia area in Thakurgaon and Panchagarh; Velurpara station in Bogura; Bamondanga station in Gaibandha; Akkelpur station in Joypurhat.

"Simultaneously, necessary steps and awareness programs, including raising awareness by Imams and through television commercials, implementing instructions from the cabinet, sending letters to Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs), deputy commissioners and officers-in-charge (OCs) and informing district and upazila-level law enforcement committees of the matter, will be conducted," Sujan said.

The rail minister also said, "We are taking preventive measures by emphasising on creating mass awareness and we hope this will be effective."

Md Moniruzzaman Monir, president of the Bangladesh Railway Posso Society (BRPS), a rights group, said, "The railway authority has also failed to find out whether this is a conspiracy by a particular group. The railway authorities also could not identify who the perpetrators of these crimes were."

He also said such incidents have made an otherwise safe journey by train, unsafe and damaged the reputation of the railway industry, while putting people's lives at risk.

Monir demanded that the authorities investigate whether these incidents were a "conspiracy hatched by transport owners against the railways".