We are deeply shocked and saddened at the tragic death of eight people of a family, including four children and two women in a fatal road accident at Gyansha in front of Nurani gate of Pirojpur Sadar upazila in the early hours of Thursday. The ill-fated people met the tragic end of their lives after the private car carrying them lost control and plunged into a roadside canal.
The deceased are Shawon, 32, his wife Amina, 25, their two children Sahadat, 7, and Abdullah, 3, from Bhaijhora village of Pirojpur's Nazirpur upazila and Motaleb Sheikh, 45, his wife Sabina, 30, their two children Mukta, 12, and Sowayib, 2, from Ramnathpur village of Sherpur Sadar upazila. Police official said the accident occured on Pirojpur-Nazirpur-Gopalganj road at Ghanosha village under Pirojpur Sadar upazila around 2am on Thursday.
This tragic incident sent a shock wave across the country. The private car was carrying the family members. When the private car plunged into the canal, the ill-fated people could not get out of the vehicle and drowned.
Country’s most highways and roads have become death traps for the travellers with deadly accidents occur almost on a regular basis. The trend in road crash death is becoming alarming across the country.
Reckless driving, poor traffic management, movement of unfit and slow pace vehicles on highways, semiskilled drivers and lack of their physical and mental fitness, undetermined working hours, lack of capability of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, lack of awareness on traffic rules, extortion in the transport sector are contributing to road accidents in the country.
Country’s most
highways and roads have become death traps
for the travellers
as deadly accidents occur almost
on a regular basis
Whatever we do to stop the road crash, the fact is that there is no minimum improvement in the country’s road safety prospects till date. People, who travel from one place to another by road or highway, feel they are not safe.
Fifty three years have already elapsed since the independence of Bangladesh but roads are still not safe for people. We continue witnessing countless people dying on the roads and highways every day as there is almost no effective measure to prevent accidents.
We do not want to hear the news of such tragic accidents every day. Such death is causing an irreparable loss to every family of the victims. Many families were ruined due to road crash. The government, non-government and volunteer organistaions took several measures to enhance the vigilance on the roads and highways by utilising the modern information technology to prevent the road accidents. We are holding discussions, seminars, workshops and symposium alongside observing national road safety day on how such deadly road accidents can be reduced.
Besides, national dailies are running stories, editorials and columns in this regard. But the road crash still remains as a reason for big worry.
Our country is witnessing fatal road mishaps and many people are dying every day due to a huge number of small vehicles plying the highways and a lack of monitoring by the authorities concerned. Misapplication of traffic laws and weak enforcement, irregularities and corruption in the traffic department, a massive increase in motorcycles, battery-run rickshaws and three-wheelers, and rampant movement of these vehicles on highways are causing the road accidents every day. Only massive awareness among the public in general about traffic rules, regular training for drivers and necessary infrastructure can be the crucial means of preventing road accidents. There is no way but to raise awareness among the masses to prevent road accidents which is a matter of grave concern.
To reduce road accidents, the concerned ministries, authorities and non-government organisations must make concerted efforts towards improvement of road safety through stringent measures. If the government fails to bring discipline on roads and highways, the situation will further deteriorate in the coming days.
