The High Court has directed the authorities concerned to reserve a specific carriage for women in every passenger train during the upcoming holy Eid-ul-Azha.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Md Asif Hasan passed the order on Tuesday, following the hearing of a supplementary application. Advocate Md Azmal Hossain Khokon represented the petitioner during the court proceedings.
The court was informed that under Section 64 of the Railways Act, 1890, every train is required to have a designated compartment for female passengers. For trains travelling more than 50 miles, the law stipulates that such compartments must have an attached lavatory.
Section 119 of the same Act provides for the imposition of fines for any unauthorised entry into these reserved carriages.
The legal history of the case dates back to 2021, when Supreme Court lawyer Momtaz Parveen filed a writ petition with the High Court citing the non-implementation of these two sections of the Act.
Following this, the High Court issued a rule on 10 March, seeking an explanation as to why instructions should not be given to allocate specific carriages for women in accordance with the legal provisions.
Speaking to TIMES, Advocate Md Azmal Hossain Khokon noted that women faced immense suffering during train journeys in the last Eid-ul-Fitr. He explained that the supplementary application was filed specifically for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha in light of those difficulties, leading to the court’s current mandate.
