Rail secretary outlines Eid train travel safety, anti-rooftop measures

Bangladesh Railways secretary Md Fahimul Islam today (23 May) visited the country's main rail hub, Kamalapur Rail Station, ahead of Eid al-Adha and outlined the overall security measures and preparation. 

"We have taken extensive security and management measures to ensure safe and smooth train travel during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha holidays, with particular emphasis on preventing passengers from travelling on train rooftops and without tickets," he said, responding to a media query after the visit. 

Speaking about Eid travel management, he said law enforcement agencies and Railway Police have been placed on alert to stop passengers from boarding train roofs, especially on northern region-bound trains, where such tendencies were observed in previous years. 

"Rooftop travel poses serious risks both to railway operations and passengers' lives," he added. 

He said that mobile courts and vigilance teams have already been deployed at Kamalapur, Airport Railway Station and other major stations to monitor the situation and take immediate action, if necessary. 

Regarding overcrowding at stations, he said a strengthened three-tier security system has been introduced to prevent ticketless passengers from entering stations, which often creates difficulties for genuine ticket holders. 

He added that the government has allowed 25% standing tickets considering the huge Eid travel demand, which exceeds the railway's carrying capacity during peak travel days. 

To maintain order at Kamalapur Railway Station, additional police forces have been deployed in coordination with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), he said, adding that security measures were also strengthened to prevent snatching and other crimes around the stations. 

He further said 100 APBN personnel have been deployed alongside regular railway security forces and urged passengers to report any irregularities through the railway hotline-131.