No let-up in road crashes

At least ten people were killed in road accidents across the country yesterday, including five in the capital, as no let-up is seen in road crashes despite various measures and assurances from the authorities concerned. Rash driving and competition, often encouraged by long tailbacks, lack of training in road safety, unfit vehicles, inadequate traffic management and loopholes in the existing laws all contribute to the ongoing road safety crisis that results in thousands of deaths every year.

In the first 28 days of this year, at least 220 people died in road crashes across Bangladesh, according to media reports. A passengers' welfare body, in its report published on Friday, said at least 7,221 people were killed and 15,466 others injured in 5,514 road crashes across the country in 2018. On an average, about 20 people got killed every day in road accidents last year.

Amid growing road fatalities, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on June 25 last year, gave a number of directives to the authorities concerned at a cabinet meeting to take necessary steps to reduce road accidents. The directives included making arrangements to provide training to drivers and their assistants, having alternative drivers in case of long-distance drive, setting up roadside restrooms for long-route drivers and stopping jaywalking by pedestrians. So far, very little has been done to implement these directives.

Students took to the streets in July last year demanding safer roads, which was triggered by the death of two students in road crashes in Dhaka as two buses competed for passengers. In the wake of the protests, the government introduced harsher punishment for road accidents including capital punishment for intentional killing and a maximum 5-year prison sentence for accidental killing with a motor vehicle. However, these changes appear to have little effect on reducing road accidents.

In South Keraniganj of Dhaka, two siblings were killed in a road accident yesterday. The

tragic incident happened when a truck recklessly struck the bike they were riding, driven by their father Shamsuddin Dalim at around 12 pm.

Afsar Hossain, 8, a student of grade-3 of Cosmopolitan Laboratory School and College and his sister Fatima Afrin, 10, a grade-5 student of the same school immediately fall on the road and the truck rode over them, killing them on the spot. Their father Shamsuddin Dalim was seriously injured.

Hearing the news of their death, students of the school blocked Dhaka-Mawa highway around noon for 40 minutes.

Md Shahjaman, officer-in-charge of South Keraniganj Police Station, said the students removed blockade from the road after police assured them of arresting the truck driver.

“Their father Shamsuddin Dalim was returning home with them after their school ended,” said South Keraniganj police Sub Inspector Mansur Ahmed.

“A truck from the opposite end ran them over, leaving the siblings dead on the spot,” he added

Later, the law enforcers recovered the truck from Abdullahpur-Dhaleshwari Bridge in an abandoned condition, the OC said.

Locals said the family lives in Rajendrapur area of South Keraniganj that they were returning from a sports competition festival in the school. As they arrived at Mollarpur turn, a speedy truck hit the motorbike.

Meanwhile two persons were killed in a road accident on the airport road of the capital early yesterday. The deceased were identified as Dalim and his brother-in-law Mobarak. They died when a truck hit them from behind. Dalim and Mobarak went to the airport to see-off Dalim’s elder brother Rubel who was travelling to Saudi Arabia. Mobarak, brother-in-law of Dalim and Rubel, got married into the family just 18 days ago.

Sridhan Chandra Roy, Sub Inspector of Airport police station said that the driver of a truck moving towards Tongi loaded with iron rods suddenly lost control and ran them over. The driver and his assistant were arrested over the incident.  

Besides, a youth was killed and two others injured in a road crash on 300-feet road in Dhaka’s Khilkhet area. The deceased was identified as Bulbul Hossain, 22, hailing from Mymensingh. The injured were Sagor, 22, and Kamrul, 22.

Md Shahjahan Kabir, assistant sub-inspector of Khilkhet Police Station, said a police team went to the spot after being informed and found the three young men critically injured inside a damaged CNG-run auto-rickshaw. The injured were rushed to a hospital where doctors declared Bulbul dead, said the ASI adding that it could not be known yet how the accident occurred.

In Sylhet, a teenage girl was killed as a truck ran over her after she fell from a motorbike on the Sylhet-Tamabil road at Sarighat in Jointapur upazila yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Shipa Akter, 18, daughter of Siddik Ali of Choitagul Agfoud village in the upazila. Police said Shipa along with her would-be husband was going to her house around 4 pm by a motorbike. At one stage, a truck ran over Shipa when she fell down from the vehicles as her scarf got entangled with the wheel of the motorbike, leaving her dead on the spot.

Angered by the incident, local people seized the truck and put up a barricade on the Sylhet-Tamabil road, halting traffic movement.

In Mymensingh, a truck driver and his assistant were killed and 15 others injured in a road accident at Signboard area on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Trishal upazila of Mymensingh yesterday morning.

The victims were identified as Mohammad Al Amin, 22, and helper Hafizur Rahman, 20, hailing from village Roymoni in Trishal.

The accident took place when a truck collided with a Bhaluka bound bus at Signboard around 8.00am, injuring 17 persons on both the vehicles, said Md Azizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Trishal Police Station.

Local people rushed to the spot and took them to Trishal Upazila Health Complex where AL Amin and Hafizur succumbed to injuries, said the OC.

Of the injured, 11 were shifted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH). The others were given first aid, the OC added. Police recovered the bodies and sent them to MMCH morgue for autopsy.

In Rajbari, two motorcyclists were killed as a truck rammed their motorcycle in Shripur area of the town early yesterday.

The deceased were identified as Shanto, 25, son of Rajab Ali of Dhunchi village and and Hridoy, 25, son of Md Siddik of Godar Bazar area.

Police said that the accident took place around 10:30 am when the truck hit the motorcycle, leaving the two motorcyclists dead on the spot.

Police seized the truck but the driver and helper fled away.

In Madaripur, a pedestrian was killed while a bamboo loaded truck turned over and crushed him.

The deceased was identified as Milon Howlader, 45. Officer in Charge Shibchar Police Station confirmed the incident. The driver of the truck is absconding, said police.

 

No let-up in road crashes

At least ten people were killed in road accidents across the country yesterday, including five in the capital, as no let-up is seen in road crashes despite various measures and assurances from the authorities concerned. Rash driving and competition, often encouraged by long tailbacks, lack of training in road safety, unfit vehicles, inadequate traffic management and loopholes in the existing laws all contribute to the ongoing road safety crisis that results in thousands of deaths every year. In the first 28 days of this year, at least 220 people died in road crashes across Bangladesh, according to media reports. A passengers welfare body, in its report published on Friday, said at least 7,221 people were killed and 15,466 others injured in 5,514 road crashes across the country in 2018. On an average, about 20 people got killed every day in road accidents last year. Amid growing road fatalities, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on June 25 last year, gave a number of directives to the authorities concerned at a cabinet meeting to take necessary steps to reduce road accidents. The directives included making arrangements to provide training to drivers and their assistants, having alternative drivers in case of long-distance drive, setting up roadside restrooms for long-route drivers and stopping jaywalking by pedestrians. So far, very little has been done to implement these directives. Students took to the streets in July last year demanding safer roads, which was triggered by the death of two students in road crashes in Dhaka as two buses competed for passengers. In the wake of the protests, the government introduced harsher punishment for road accidents including capital punishment for intentional killing and a maximum 5-year prison sentence for accidental killing with a motor vehicle. However, these changes appear to have little effect on reducing road accidents. In South Keraniganj of Dhaka, two siblings were killed in a road accident yesterday. The tragic incident happened when a truck recklessly struck the bike they were riding, driven by their father Shamsuddin Dalim at around 12 pm. Afsar Hossain, 8, a student of grade-3 of Cosmopolitan Laboratory School and College and his sister Fatima Afrin, 10, a grade-5 student of the same school immediately fall on the road and the truck rode over them, killing them on the spot. Their father Shamsuddin Dalim was seriously injured. Hearing the news of their death, students of the school blocked Dhaka-Mawa highway around noon for 40 minutes. Md Shahjaman, officer-in-charge of South Keraniganj Police Station, said the students removed blockade from the road after police assured them of arresting the truck driver. Their father Shamsuddin Dalim was returning home with them after their school ended, said South Keraniganj police Sub Inspector Mansur Ahmed. A truck from the opposite end ran them over, leaving the siblings dead on the spot, he added Later, the law enforcers recovered the truck from Abdullahpur-Dhaleshwari Bridge in an abandoned condition, the OC said. Locals said the family lives in Rajendrapur area of South Keraniganj that they were returning from a sports competition festival in the school. As they arrived at Mollarpur turn, a speedy truck hit the motorbike. Meanwhile two persons were killed in a road accident on the airport road of the capital early yesterday. The deceased were identified as Dalim and his brother-in-law Mobarak. They died when a truck hit them from behind. Dalim and Mobarak went to the airport to see-off Dalims elder brother Rubel who was travelling to Saudi Arabia. Mobarak, brother-in-law of Dalim and Rubel, got married into the family just 18 days ago. Sridhan Chandra Roy, Sub Inspector of Airport police station said that the driver of a truck moving towards Tongi loaded with iron rods suddenly lost control and ran them over. The driver and his assistant were arrested over the incident. Besides, a youth was killed and two others injured in a road crash on 300-feet road in Dhakas Khilkhet area. The deceased was identified as Bulbul Hossain, 22, hailing from Mymensingh. The injured were Sagor, 22, and Kamrul, 22. Md Shahjahan Kabir, assistant sub-inspector of Khilkhet Police Station, said a police team went to the spot after being informed and found the three young men critically injured inside a damaged CNG-run auto-rickshaw. The injured were rushed to a hospital where doctors declared Bulbul dead, said the ASI adding that it could not be known yet how the accident occurred. In Sylhet, a teenage girl was killed as a truck ran over her after she fell from a motorbike on the Sylhet-Tamabil road at Sarighat in Jointapur upazila yesterday. The deceased was identified as Shipa Akter, 18, daughter of Siddik Ali of Choitagul Agfoud village in the upazila. Police said Shipa along with her would-be husband was going to her house around 4 pm by a motorbike. At one stage, a truck ran over Shipa when she fell down from the vehicles as her scarf got entangled with the wheel of the motorbike, leaving her dead on the spot. Angered by the incident, local people seized the truck and put up a barricade on the Sylhet-Tamabil road, halting traffic movement. In Mymensingh, a truck driver and his assistant were killed and 15 others injured in a road accident at Signboard area on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Trishal upazila of Mymensingh yesterday morning. The victims were identified as Mohammad Al Amin, 22, and helper Hafizur Rahman, 20, hailing from village Roymoni in Trishal. The accident took place when a truck collided with a Bhaluka bound bus at Signboard around 8.00am, injuring 17 persons on both the vehicles, said Md Azizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Trishal Police Station. Local people rushed to the spot and took them to Trishal Upazila Health Complex where AL Amin and Hafizur succumbed to injuries, said the OC. Of the injured, 11 were shifted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH). The others were given first aid, the OC added. Police recovered the bodies and sent them to MMCH morgue for autopsy. In Rajbari, two motorcyclists were killed as a truck rammed their motorcycle in Shripur area of the town early yesterday. The deceased were identified as Shanto, 25, son of Rajab Ali of Dhunchi village and and Hridoy, 25, son of Md Siddik of Godar Bazar area. Police said that the accident took place around 10:30 am when the truck hit the motorcycle, leaving the two motorcyclists dead on the spot. Police seized the truck but the driver and helper fled away. In Madaripur, a pedestrian was killed while a bamboo loaded truck turned over and crushed him. The deceased was identified as Milon Howlader, 45. Officer in Charge Shibchar Police Station confirmed the incident. The driver of the truck is absconding, said police.