Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Monday issued a ruling asking the concerned bodies of the government to explain as to why they should not be directed to build a fund as per the law to compensate the victims of road accidents and to meet the medical expenses of them.
The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after holding primary hearing
on a writ petition filed in this regard. In the ruling the court wanted to know as to why the respondents should not be directed to immediately form a ‘financial assistance fund’ and a ‘board of trustees’ for operating the fund by implementing Sections 53 and 54 of the Road Transport Act 2018.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary, Law Secretary, Finance Secretary, Senior Secretary of the Public Safety Department of the Home Ministry and Chairman of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) have been asked to comply with the ruling within four weeks.
Advocate Monoj Kumar Bhowmick appeared in the hearing on behalf of the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Bepul Bagmar represented the state.
Monoj Kumar said, “Every year thousands of people become injured in road accidents, and many others die. According to the Road Transport Act 2018, a fund and a trustee board are supposed to be formed for compensating road accident victims and their families.”
But, no fund or trustee board has been formed in the last three years, he said adding that the government has taken no steps to this end.
That’s why the plaintiffs sent a legal notice to the concerned authorities on 17 August on this matter. But due to non-response from them, a writ was filed with the HC on Sunday challenging their inactions, he further added.
According to the annual report of the Bangladesh Passengers Welfare Association (BPWA), a total of 5,397 accidents took place in the country in 2020 that killed 7,317 people and injured 9,021 others.
As many as 6,686 people lost their lives and 8,600 were injured in 4,891 road accidents in 2020 in Bangladesh.
