Blockades and demonstrations in multiple locations across Dhaka city under the familiar slogans of “We Want Justice” occurred once again on Wednesday after last August when students effectively shut down the city for a week. Along with it, reports came about long tailbacks through multiple points at Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh, Mirpur Road, Mohakhali, Progati Sarani and other city areas.
The blockade on the gate of Bashundhara Residential Area, where the university student was run over by a bus on Tuesday, was placed around 9:30am. They were demanding capital punishment of the driver responsible for student’s death, shutting down Jabal-e-Noor and Suprabhat buses, and foot over-bridges near all educational institutions.
Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam went to the spot around 11:00am on Tuesday to console the agitating students. He promised them of building a foot-over bridge within two to three months and naming it after Abrar. The mayor also assured the protesters of ensuring highest punishment to the bus driver and cancelling the route permit of the Suprobhat Paribahan.
After last August the nation assumed that some semblance of discipline would be brought to the chaotic roads of Dhaka city. But sadly the discipline lasted only for a month before breaking down. The reasons for such indiscipline are known –drivers are given a daily target to collect money and if they can’t meet the targets they are sacked. Since the pool of drivers are never ending this leads to a race to make money.
According to a report by the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Organisation, at least 7,221 people were in road accidents across the country in 2018. A further 15,446 people were injured in a total of 5,514 road crashes throughout the year. The victims in 41.53 percent of the reported cases died as a result of being run over by vehicles while 29.72 percent of the deaths occurred in head-on collisions between vehicles.
Around 16.18 percent of the road crash casualties resulted from vehicles falling into ditches. Trucks and covered vans were involved in the highest number of road accidents, making up 28-68 percent of total crashes reported in 2018. Motorcycles were involved in 25.30 percent, buses 18.92 percent, autorickshaws 9.61 percent and Nasiman-Kariman in 5.80 percent of the total crashes. Besides, the victims in 41.53 percent of the reported cases died as a result of being run over by vehicles while 29.72 percent of the deaths occurred in head-on collisions between vehicles.
It is unfortunate that the Mayor chose to soothe the anger of the students by callously promising to build a foot over bridge. The challenge is to the competence of the Mayor and others involved in the government to make roads safe against the defiance of reckless bus drivers.
We do not doubt the sincerity of the Mayor Atiqul Islam that he meant well for finding a solution. But we are living under a government which must remain in power without being accountable.
The issue of choosing a Mayor through the people’s vote is not available. The whole process of the challenge of efficiency and competence to serve the people has been negated. Uttering political slogans or keeping the people in fear of the government is not any accomplishment.
So the Mayor has to think and talk to others to find a solution for making the roads safe. Except the fools, everybody knows one has to learn his job to be successful.
