Hundreds of vehicles and pedestrians cross unprotected railway lines across Lalmonirhat district, risking their lives every day as no safety measures, gates, or gatekeepers are in place at most crossings. Despite repeated accidents and public complaints, the Bangladesh Railway authorities have yet to take effective steps to ensure safety.
Locals say several of these unprotected crossings are located near schools, colleges, markets, and hospitals, but railway officials have done little more than hang warning notices. “We never know when a train is coming,” said Rahim Mia, a school student from Kaliganj Upazila. “Sometimes when we’re on our way to school or the market, trains suddenly appear out of nowhere. There’s no gatekeeper—just a rusty signboard.”
According to the Lalmonirhat Railway Division Office, out of 525 railway crossings under its jurisdiction across eight districts, 305 remain unprotected. These crossings, spread over 540 kilometers of railway track, are scenes of frequent and often fatal accidents.
Authorities acknowledge that many of these crossings were created illegally when the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), District Councils, and Municipalities built roads across railway lines without proper approval from the Railway Department.
Engineer Kawsar Alam from the LGED Lalmonirhat office said, “Although railway safety is the responsibility of the railway authority, we will take steps to improve road safety around these areas.”
The Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Lalmonirhat confirmed that local government bodies often ignore regulations requiring railway permission for road construction across train tracks.
“Such unauthorized crossings have no official recognition and pose severe safety risks,” he said. According to Railway Police data, in the past year alone, 37 people have died and 197 were injured in accidents at these unprotected or illegal railway crossings in the region.
Residents are urging immediate action from authorities to install gates, appoint gatekeepers, and raise awareness to prevent further loss of life.
Comment
