# Over 5000 people die on the roads in Bangladesh
# 320 people died during Eid-ul Fitr travels
# Around 19 pc higher than last year
After 15 people were killed on 16 April in Faridpur when a bus and a small truck collided, it was learnt that the bus had no fitness certificate. The truck was carrying passengers illegally.
It is the responsibility of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to check whether the bus had fitness or not. It is the responsibility of the highway police to prevent trucks from picking up passengers, speeding and to prevent three-wheelers on the highways.
It is the responsibility of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) to keep the roads free of ruts and potholes. And it is the responsibility of the vehicle owners to ensure that the drivers got sufficient rest.
Not just in Faridpur, but in Rangunia, Chattogram as well, when two students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) were hit and killed by a bus, it was later learnt that the bus had not fitness and was 43 years old. Five days before that on 17 April in Jhalakathi, 14 people were killed when hit by a truck carrying a load of cement. The driver, it was later found, had no licence to drive a heavy vehicle.
Every year over 5000 people die on the roads in Bangladesh. Even more are injured. But there are no strong initiatives to restore order in the highways. Occasionally a mobile court jumps into action and fines are imposed, but no planned and concerted initiative is put in place.
After three major accidents and the death of many over the Eid-ul Fitr holidays, BRTA is back to its perfunctory drives. It says that on last Thursday, 406 cases were filed in 8 divisions around the country and fines totalling Tk 785,000 were imposed. Nine cars were consigned to dumping.
BRTA provides the official figures. According to them, in 2023 a total of 5,024 people died on the roads and 7,495 were injured. According to the non-government organisation Road Safety Foundation, the number of such deaths in 2023 stood at 6,524. And 11,407 were injured.
According to BRTA, 320 people died during Eid-ul Fitr travels this year (4-18 April), which was around 19 per cent higher than last year. The Road Safety Foundation says that 367 died in Eid travels (4-20 April) this year. Last year deaths during Eid travels totalled 285.
Experts say that the major reasons behind road accidents have been highlighted in various research and studies. The government too takes various steps at various times in this regard. But there is more interest in infrastructure construction and such projects rather than management initiatives.
At a cabinet meeting in June 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued instructions to ensure that the work hours of drivers was maintained and that rest facilities were constructed for them. The roads division began constructing four rest facilities and the work is still underway. But no effective measures have been taken to enforce the owners to ensure adequate rest for the drivers.
Former director of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)'s Accident Research Institute, Md Hadiuzzaman said that it is time to reconsider whether these can be called accidents. By terming these as accidents, the liability is being placed on fatalistic or natural mishaps. But there were all elements to lead to an accident. One may consider whether these can be called killings due to negligence.
He also said, those who are responsible for this negligence must be brought to trial. If not, these irregularities and this negligence will simply continue.
ZH
