Eighteen days have passed since a faulty pickup killed six brothers in Chakaria of Cox’s Bazar, completely devastating the entire family. And yet, police have not been able to arrest its owner, delaying the investigation process. A case filed over the road crash on Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Highway had been transferred to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) from Highway Police. But, the owner of the pickup, which has had no updated papers for the last three years, could not be arrested. And so, police’s efforts are being questioned. Arrests or other punitive actions against vehicle owners are rare, even if the vehicles are found without valid papers, including fitness clearance.
In many cases, police only arrest the drivers, following protests or huge media outcry, and keep them in jail to face trial proceedings. Transport owners are powerful, as many of them are involved with the ruling party. So, the government is reluctant to take action against them. In the case of the Chakaria incident, RAB arrested the pickup driver, who did not even have a valid licence, three days after the crash. He is currently in jail. As per the documents, the validity of the fitness clearance and tax token expired in May 2018, and the route permit expired in May 2019. As per Road Transport Act-2018, if a vehicle does not have updated documents, then its owner would also be made responsible for any accident.
In almost every case, we witnessed the law enforcers remain reluctant to go into deep road accidents, while transport owners are shadowed by the blessing of power. We must admit that the government has failed to make the roads safer for all despite many committees, many assurances, much research, and obviously many protests. The youth in 2018 showed us what the State should do? Who was responsible for road accidents? But nothing teaches the government to enforce the existing laws. We have to say, without any exacerbation or provocation; the entire transportation system must be repaired like the roads and highways. Without ensuring a safe journey, no achievement would be counted, as the right to living is the first and foremost right.
