Manu Rani of Hasinapara village in Chakaria upazila of Cox's Bazar is still in shock after losing five children. The cremation rites of her husband who died a few days back were performed on 9 February. The day before that, eight brothers were waiting on the side of the road to return home after a religious ritual at the temple. Four of the brothers died on the spot when a pickup van crushed them and another died later in hospital. The accident not only snatched the five children from their mother, their wives became widows and their children fatherless.
In another incident, police tried to stop a rice-laden 'chander gari' (locally modified vehicle) at a check post on the Chittagong-Fatikchhari road. The driver sped away and was chased by the police on a motorcycle. At that time two schoolgirls were standing on the side of the road. Both of them were killed when the vehicle ran over them. The driver managed to flee the scene.
There is no way we can call these mere road accidents. The driver is solely responsible for the first incident. In the second case, there are serious allegations of police involvement apart from the driver. The drivers complained that the police extort money in the name of patrolling. The responsibility of the police is to maintain order on the road and taking action against those who violate the rules. Discipline will remain a far cry if they are involved in extortion instead of doing their duty while the deaths due to road crashes continue.
According to the Road Safety Foundation, there were 5,371 road accidents across the country in 2021. In these accidents, 6284 people were killed and 7468 injured. Among the dead were 803 students of different educational institutions. Compared to 2020, road accidents have increased by 13.5 per cent in 2021 and deaths have increased by about 17 per cent.
How many more deaths have we to see on the road? Earlier, accidents took place when two vehicles collided or overturned. Now people standing on the side of the road are also being crushed to death. The anarchy was never redressed.
The law that the government made in 2018 for road safety has not been implemented due to the opposition of a quarter of owners and workers. In the actual proposal, the government that is BRTA and highway police have no control over the road. The entire process is controlled by the vested group including a class of owners and labour leaders.
Till this report was filed the drivers who killed seven people in Satkania and Fatikchhari have not yet been arrested. So how will the trial be conducted? Although numerous people die every day due to road accidents, the authorities concerned chose to turn a blind eye. The road transport minister, who always enlightens the nations about politics, does not say anything about road safety.
The road transport system of the country cannot run like this. The ongoing anarchy and chaos on the road must be stopped. How long will this situation prevail by dangling the carrot of law to stop road demonstrations? It must be implemented immediately.