Every Eid, the same dangerous images recur across Bangladesh: trains arriving at stations with roofs crowded with passengers, bodies perched precariously above moving carriages, lives hanging literally by balance. Despite clear legal prohibitions, police raids, and even High Court orders, the practice refuses to die—and those involved point to a simple, brutal explanation: demand far exceeds capacity.
The Law is Clear:
Traveling on train roofs is explicitly illegal under the Railway Act 1890, which prohibits passengers from occupying spaces not designated for them, including roofs and footboards. Violators face fines and forcible removal. In 2022, the High Court reinforced this, ordering that passengers must never be carried on roofs and threatening action against officials who fail to prevent it.
The Reality is Different:
Yet every Eid, thousands climb onto roofs. Railway Police SP Shafiqur Rahman acknowledges the enforcement challenge: “Both climbing on the roof of a train and travelling without a ticket are punishable offences. Regular fines are being imposed… However, 100% control is not possible due to the high passenger pressure.”
Root Causes:
Those involved identify multiple factors driving the phenomenon:
Capacity Crunch: Train demand multiplies during Eid, but the number of coaches remains fixed. Passengers unable to secure tickets—despite online sales and 25 percent standing tickets—arrive at stations desperate and find roofs as the only option.
Enforcement Gaps: While raids occur, removing rooftop passengers takes time. With trains stopping only briefly at stations, clearing entire roofs becomes impossible without disrupting schedules. Passengers exploit these gaps.
Comparative Safety Perception: Moazzem Hossain, a Chittagong-bound passenger, offered a startling rationale: “Trains are safer than buses. There are more accidents during bus travel during Eid. It is better to take the train than that.” For some, roof travel feels like the lesser evil.
Passenger Observations:
Sumanta Sen, traveling to Brahmanaria, expressed frustration at the cycle: “I have been seeing the same thing year after year. Even though it is scary to climb on the roof, a certain group of passengers are not afraid. I have seen the police, standing on the platform, sometimes scolding them. However, this is not the way to solve the problem.”
Police Perspective:
SP Shafiqur Rahman defended enforcement efforts while acknowledging limitations: “If someone somehow climbs onto the roof, it takes time to get them off. This risks disrupting the scheduled schedule of the train. Due to the short stoppage time at each station, it is not always possible to clear the entire roof.”
He also pointed to the fundamental mismatch: “This is both illegal and very risky. A passenger is putting his own life at risk. But the reality is that our capacity is less than the demand of the railways. Despite selling tickets online and offering 25 percent standing tickets, the demand is not being met.”
The Way Forward:
Ordinary passengers argue that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. The situation demands addressing root causes: increasing train and coach numbers, ensuring transparent ticket management, and strengthening station control. Until capacity matches demand, they warn, risky roof travel will continue—a deadly arithmetic where need exceeds supply and lives are the cost.
