Deaths in road accidents
Take action against unfit vehicles, orders HC
The High Court yesterday directed the government to stop the plying of all unfit motor vehicles across the country. It also directed the government to take legal actions against about 18.77 lakh fake driving licence holders across the country. In a suo moto rule, the HC bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman issued the directive following a report published in a national daily on August 2 under the headline Road Accident: 19 lakh fake drivers rule the highways. The HC asked the secretaries of road transport and bridges, and home, inspector general of police and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority chairman to submit a compliance report before the court within 30 days.
It also issued a rule asking the government to explain in four weeks what actions it has taken so far even after having the knowledge that an estimated 19 lakh fake licences are being held by drivers, causing fatal road accidents across the country. Communication secretary, home secretary, IGP and BRTA chairman have been made respondents to reply to the rule within four weeks.
The court also asked reporter Partha Sarathi Das, the writer of the report published in the Daily Sun, , to authenticate the report before the court. The court said that the matter would come in the daily cause list on September 2 for further order. The newspaper report said, As many as 191 people were killed in 154 road accidents in the country in a single week from July 15 to 21 as 19 lakh fake drivers are ruling the highways recklessly.
The report also said, Some 60 percent of the accidents take place due to the faults of the drivers who include even the adolescents. Some 1.98 lakh driving licences are alleged to have been issued without examination. Renewal of such licences is also being done in the same manner. The government estimate says eight people are killed on an average in road accidents every day in the country, while the World Bank and the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates the death toll as 30 and 48 respectively, the report said. It may be mentioned that 17 people were killed in a head-on collision between two buses in Sirajganj last month on the Eid day. Both the buses were overloaded and without fitness. The driver of one of the buses was holding a fake driving licence and running the bus while asleep.
Nine months ago, on October 20 last, 37 people were killed in a collision between two buses on Bonpara-Hatikumrul highway. None of the two drivers had any valid licence.
