AMIDST the mobile court drive against jaywalkers on the 2.5 kilometer road stretching from Shahbagh to Farmagte Police Box, veteran journalist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury was killed in a road accident on Saturday night. The veteran journalist tried to get off a bus but the driver recklessly pulled the vehicle away before he could get down which left him seriously injured on the same road. Recently, we stated that the ongoing drive is just harassment to jaywalkers on the road as the authorities did not ensure safe walkways and failed to control reckless driving. The reckless driving, untrained drivers, unfit vehicles, dilapidated roads, disarrayed traffic system and occupied walkways have caused several road accidents in the country. But the government is continuously reluctant in ensuring civic amenities, safe road in particular, to it’s citizens.
The senior journalist Zaglul was going to a local cable television office at Karwan Bazar on a bus to join a Talk-show. When the bus reached near Sonargaon intersection on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue where a Zebra crossing was drawn recently, he tried to get off but the vehicle recklessly pulled away before he could do so. Zaglul fell on the road and suffered severe injuries on his head. He was taken to nearby clinic and later to another private hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The government formed a five-member probe committee on Sunday to investigate the killing as the authority usually does. Surprisingly, even after 24 hours of the tragic accident police could not arrest the bus driver or detect the bus to show off their ineptness. The city traffic management style is simply encouraging deliberate killings on the roads with impunity.
Earlier on November 20, 2014, the High Court reinstated highest punishment for reckless driving to seven years in prison from the prevailing three-year jail term. In its observation, the court recommended that the punishment for reckless driving should be increased further to ensure the ‘right to life’ for the people.
According to the police, 3,000 people die in road accidents in the country every year. The World Bank puts the figure at 12,000 while the World Health Organisation says it is 18,000 deaths a year. The police also say that 90 percent of the accidents could be attributed to speeding and reckless driving. A researcher said scrutinising documents, it has been learnt that less than five percent culprits responsible for accidents were actually punished. If the punishment was raised, it would surely have an impact on drivers’ mind-set and reduce reckless driving.
Mere increase of punishment period or enacting tougher law will not strike fear in the minds of the offenders unless convictions are handed to them and they are actually punished which would have a deterring effect on themselves as well as potential offenders. So long as we will fail to efficiently and effectively apply the law, deaths on roads will continue to recur. Besides, the practice of operating vehicles with forged licences and fitness certificates must be stopped. The problem is that the government is unable to have control over any part of the governance.
