Ensure a festive Eid for all

Eid-ul-Azha is around the corner. City dwellers have started leaving for their villages to be with their near and dear ones. The homebound routes are risky due to natural and man-made obstacles.

People are concerned over the floods in the north and the countrywide dengue outbreak. Besides, man-made problems like skyrocketing prices of daily commodities, dilapidated roads and highways, unabated extortion from cattle-laden trucks on highways, continuous mob beating, murder and rapes have made people’s life miserable. The environment needed for overall spontaneous Eid celebrations is visibly absent.

Apparently, the country’s flood situation and dengue outbreak are created by the nature. But the casualties are multiplied by people themselves. So far, the initiatives taken by the government to control the flood situation and dengue outbreak are far from satisfactory.

Heavy rainfall which damages the highways during this time of the year here in Bangladesh is very normal. Despite this fact, the government is just offering rhetoric about safe journeys home.

There is no sign of stopping the cattle-laden trucks being subject to extortion, though the ruling leaders and police officials promised to take action against the extortion. This year, policemen were not seen extorting the cattle-laden trucks. It has been reported that various transport organisations’ people instead are forcefully collecting ‘toll’ from the trucks on the highways.

People are deeply worried over the death of several innocent people in mob beatings on the child lifting suspicion and also the continuous murder after rape of young ones. It can hardly be said that law and order situation in the country is satisfactory.

The government should be prepared to face any disaster. People will be assured if the government takes sincere steps to control the dengue outbreak.

Many people are killed every year in road and waterway accidents, before and after Eid. Reckless driving of buses and carrying excess passengers in river vessels are two main reasons of these accidents. It is the duty of the authorities to control such matters. 

People would celebrate Eid with more cheer if they at least come to realise that the government is sincere and on the right track in resolving the existing problems. They have the right to celebrate Eid free of all tension.