ANOTHER student was killed by a speedy bus at Mostafa Majir intersection of Rampura-Demra Road in the capital on Friday. The victim, 19-year-old Ibne Tasnim Iram, a first year student at Gulam Mostafa College, died on the spot when a passenger bus of ‘Ramzan Paribahan’ hit his cycle.
We don’t know how many corpses are needed for waking up the authorities concerned from deep hibernation. Lives of ordinary citizens are crushing under the wheels of vehicles almost every day due to the mad race by the drivers, over-speedy plying of vehicles, unlicensed drivers and unfit vehicles, and surely absence of rules of law. The authorities concerned promised several times to take harsh action against the perpetrators of road accidents, but all went in vain. The killing of Iram happened barely three weeks after the death of university student Abrar in another road crash.
Iram’s death coincided with separate road accidents that left at least nine people killed and 16 others injured across the country on same day. Witnesses said two buses of Ramzan Paribahan and Swadhin Paribahan were racing towards Rampura knocked him down. Ridiculously, after the accident, authorities were seen constructing a speed-breaker on the spot, like the construction of foot over bridge after Abrar killing. It’s a big question, how many lives are needed to make our roads safe? Earlier on July 29 last year, two college students were killed during a race between two buses on Airport Road in the capital. We feel; the grieved relatives have nothing to do unless waiting to see the next accident as there is no visible action to make the roads safe.
Every day newspapers publish reports and photos of bloodstain road victims, television channels telecast people’s anger against unsafe roads, the authorities make promises for making roads safe and taking stern action against culprits but nothing is done to improve the situation. Currently, an unruly situation is prevailing in the transport sector. Corruptions in having vehicle license, open extortion by law enforcers and political goons have made the situation highly complicated. It needs utmost sincerity and political will to bring discipline in this sector.
