Staff Reporter :
Despite different measures taken by the Roads and Bridges Ministry, the number of road accidents is jumping high day by day for not applying existing law properly and non-professional attitudes of the department concerned, and traffic police.
Against this backdrop, Roads and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday told the Parliament that 40 people were killed during Eid holidays in the country. But prior to Quader’s statement, at least 17 persons, including five members of a family, were killed in six separate accidents in four districts of the country in 10 hours on Thursday. On the other hand, the Jatri Kalyan Samity categorically disagreed with the figure of accidents given by the Minister. Leaders of the Samity said at least 55 people were killed and 120 others injured in five days since Sunday morning to Wednesday evening. In Gopalganj, six persons, including five members of a family, were killed on the spot and 10 others injured in a tragic road accident when a private car and a passenger bus of Seba Green Line Paribahan collided head-on at Majhgati under Kashiani upazila of Dhaka-Khulna highway at about 10:00am.
The victims were identified as Saudi expatriate Halim Akhond, 49, his wife Asma Banu, 42, their two sons Sumon Akhond and Shihab Akhond, Halim’s brother-in-law Badal Hawlader, 45, and driver.
Police said family members of Halim went to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Wednesday night to receive him who was coming from Saudi Arabia. They started for home boarding a private car early Thursday.
Their car was smashed like a matchbox and went under the wheels of the bus after being hit violently, Officer-in-Charge of Kashiani Police Station AKM Ali Nur Hossain said.
In another accident, four people, including three members of a family, were killed and two others injured when a bus rammed a microbus on Dhaka-Bogra highway at Ghurka Beltala in Raiganj upazila early Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Mili Begum, 35, wife of Harun-or-Rashid, her son Sagar, 13, Mili’s father-in-law Solaiman, 65, from Kahalu upazila and Abdul Khalek, 32, a microbus driver from Dupchachia upazila of Bogra district.
The family met the tragedy while heading towards Dhaka airport to receive Harun-or-Rashid. The accident took place around 12:45am when a Kurigram-bound bus of ‘Dhanshiri Paribahan’ hit a microbus coming from opposite direction, leaving four passengers of the microbus killed on the spot and two others injured, said Abdul Gani, ASI of Hatikumrul Highway Police.
An auto-rickshaw driver was killed and four others injured in a road accident in Dhaka’s Gulistan on Thursday.
The deceased was identified as Jamal Hossain, 40. The incident occurred at 6:30am at Gulistan Zero point areas. The injured were admitted to Dhaka Medical College hospital.
In Tangail, two women on a morning walk along Madhupur-Jamalpur road were killed when a Jamalpur-bound microbus ran over them in Pathanbari area of Dhanbari upazila on Thursday morning.
The deceased were identified as Reba Begum, 32, wife of Babul Bakul, and Shahaton Begum, 50, wife of Abdul Mazid, of the area. Mujibur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Dhanbari Police Station, said the accident took place when a Jamalpur-bound microbus hit them while walking in the morning, leaving the duo dead on the spot.
In Ishwardi, two friends who were on a motorcycle died instantly when they were hit by a bus on Rajshahi-Pabna Highway. The victims, Md Shipon, 22, and Ashraful Islam, 24, were going to Paksey for an Eid hangout.
The bus coming from the opposite direction hit them at Sheikhpara of Muladuli, said Ishwardi Police Station OC Abdul Hye.
At least two persons were killed and three others injured when a CNG-run three-wheeler and a passenger bus collided face-to-face at Gangashram on Mymensingh- Kishoreganj highway.
The dead were identified as Mohammad Russel and Abul Basher.
