Chunnu slams rail minister, secretary for staying abroad amid tragic train crash

Jatiya Party (JaPa) MP Mujibul Haque Chunnu has strongly criticised the rail minister and the railway secretary for not returning home promptly from foreign tours in the aftermath of the tragic train accident in Bhairab.

While speaking on point of order in Parliament on Wednesday, the JaPa secretary general expressed his concern, stating, "The minister, along with his family, is currently in Malaysia, and the railway secretary, along with his family, is in China. Given the magnitude of this tragic accident, I had expected the minister to return promptly. However, he has not.

"In the past, Indian Railway Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned following a train accident, but we don't have a culture of resignation."

He also pointed out media reports stating that the locomotive engineer, assistant locomotive engineer, and guard were suspended in the aftermath of the incident.

However, he expressed concern that those in higher positions or those truly responsible have managed to evade accountability.

Chunnu further mentioned that a letter had been sent to the Chief Engineer of the Dhaka Division of Railways last Sunday, urging the immediate repair of the railway turntable. The letter highlighted that the locomotives were not rotating properly due to a broken turntable, posing a significant risk of accidents.

The MP also raised concerns about the age of the engine which was exceptionally old and making it difficult to see signals promptly due to the considerable distance between the seat and the signal. The distributor valve of the freight train was malfunctioning, and the emergency brake failed to respond, contributing to the accident.

"Moreover, there was no swift action taken to repair the damaged turntable. Consequently, should the locomotive engineer bear sole responsibility for these incidents? Is it fair to place the blame solely on them?" he posed these questions.

Chunnu expressed doubts about the transparency of the ongoing investigation, suggesting that it may not be made public to avoid implicating high-ranking officials.

Therefore, he called for an independent department to conduct the investigation.

He urged for Tk5 lakh financial assistance for the families of each victim of the railway accident.

At least 17 people have been killed and over 100 others injured after two trains collided in Bhairab of Kishoreganj.