The government has asked the authorities concerned to reduce the number of unauthorised rail crossings across the country in an effort to avert train accidents.
They have also been asked to construct speed bumps on the roads before the rail crossings.
The instructions came at an inter-ministerial meeting at the Rail Bhaban on Sunday, with Rail Secretary Selim Reza in the chair, in the wake of rising train accidents across the country.
The meeting gave the instructions to the authorities particularly involved in the construction of roads and highways.
According to official records, 263 people died in 297 train accidents in the last 10 years. The Bangladesh Railway (BR) has a record of 1,411 rail crossings - 424 in eastern zone and 978 in the western zone. The number of unmanned level crossing is 964 in the two zones.
However, the BR has so far identified 890 unauthorized level crossings in the eastern zone and 259 in the western zone.
The Bangladesh Railway, however, does not have records of crossings now being developed across the country.
The meeting stressed the need for ensuring safety at all the rail crossings by engaging gatekeepers or installation of gates, said the secretary after the meeting.
He said the meeting also decided to make overpass or underpass in all new highways and important roads to avert possible accidents.
And at the same time, he said, the number gates should be reduced from the spots where many gates have been developed within one kilometre range.
According to the meeting sources, highest number of unauthorized rail crossing gates was developed by the Local Government Engineering Department as it constructed link roads on both sides of rail track at 332 points in eastern zone and 184 points in western zone.
The Roads and Highways Department has developed 11 unauthorised level crossings while Union Parisad 363, Pourasava 79, City corporations 34 and Zila Parisad 13.
Apart from these, Chittagong Port Authority, Benapole Land Port Authority and Joypurhat Sugar Mill Authority also developed level crossing without informing the BR.
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