Across the country, the hangover from the festivity of Eid ul Fitr has been replaced by intense public misery. Over the last few weeks, many people have been killed in vehicular accidents. Most of these accidents occurred on the roads and highways, some on the rivers, and others on the railroads. The number of accidental deaths is overwhelming.
Generally, public opinion sounds too casual, even brutal, as regards the fatal accidents. When gross negligence leads to such fatality, should it simply be written off as an 'accident'? Does it not amount to 'patronising' collective carelessness?
News in the past few days from different dailies reads: six killed in Gazipur road crash; Bus-microbus collision kills 2 in Madaripur; Cop killed in Dhaka road crash; Bus-plunge kills 8 in Tangail; Habiganj trawler capsize kills 4; five killed when train crashes into human hauler in Gazipur; Road crash kills 3 in Brahmanbaria - the list goes on! All this is just in the past two weeks! Meanwhile, the Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, Obaidul Quader, has opined that the CNG-powered auto-rickshaws are primarily responsible for maximum number of highway accidents. So, the government has banned CNG-run three-wheelers on highways. Will this ensure safety on highways and roads?
Bangladeshi citizens are tired of the politicians making scapegoats of anything and addressing a serious problem rather casually. As far as the news of road accidents are concerned, these are not mere statistics. The numbers 3, 5, 4, 8, 1, 2, and 6 do not resemble a child's math lesson but the actual cost of human lives. Perhaps, a mother has lost a son; a wife has been robbed of her husband; a brother or sister has died; a father has posthumously turned his children into pitiable orphans. Peace, happiness and prosperity of a family are shattered in a matter of seconds.
Indisputably, rash driving is one of the major causes of such terrible accidents on the roads and highways. Nevertheless, these reckless drivers are immune to the rule of law as they have always been patronised by influential persons with government affiliations. Plus, infrastructural deficiency is an unavoidable concern - dodgy potholes, deceitful curves, hazardous slopes, and the despicable state of disrepair of numerous roads and highways.
In a country riven by corruption and perpetual lawlessness, the notions of civilisation and the rule of law are slowly losing the ground. Public morale is eroding fast, along with the sense of morality.
nabilazamdewanfe@gmail.com
Illusive road safety
Nabil Azam Dewan | Published: August 07, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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