Railway Police data shows that 5,530 people have died after being struck by trains in the country over the past six years and two months.
Citing Bangladesh Railway Police data, the Daily Sun reported that of these, 81 cases were confirmed murders following autopsies.
Of the total deaths, 1,017 were recorded in 2024 and 168 in the first two months of 2025 from accidents. The remaining 4,345 deaths occurred from 2019 to 2023.
Six of the murders took place in 2024 while 14 in 2023, 17 in 2022, eight in 2021, 15 in 2020 and 21 in 2019.
Railway Police filed 998 cases related to these deaths.
Muhammad Umar Faruk, a professor at the Department of Criminology and Police Science of Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University said in some cases, miscreants dump the bodies on the railway tracks to stimulate accidents and thus avoid responsibility for the crime.
He also attributed many accidental deaths to distractions like headphones and careless behaviour near tracks - sitting or walking. Bangladesh Railway and Railway Police can jointly conduct an awareness campaign in this regard, he said, adding that people must be aware to reduce such deaths.
Crime analyst Dr Tawohidul Haque, also a teacher at Dhaka University, said criminals may be targeting remote railway areas due to a perceived lack of security and surveillance.
He said Bangladesh Railway and Railway Police must take measures to check murders and accidents.
According to the analysis of the Railway Police, of the 1,017 fatalities (794 men and 223 women) in 2024, distraction, particularly from earphone use, led to 76 deaths. Another 504 died while sitting or walking on the tracks, 272 from careless crossings, 23 from rooftop falls and 142 from other causes.
A significant issue highlighted by Railway Police sources is the prevalence of unsafe and unauthorised level crossings that lack gatemen and signal bars.
They emphasised that any entity constructing roads across railway tracks must obtain Bangladesh Railway's permission.
Chief of Railway Police Sardar Tamizudin Ahmed acknowledged the difficulty in preventing murders committed inside trains or when bodies are dumped onto tracks.
While talking to the Daily Sun, he stressed the importance of successful investigations to deter future crimes. "If police can identify the killers and bring them to book, the murders in the trains and along the lines can be controlled," he said.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
