\\\'Road accidents probe reports useless\\\'

Road accidents investigation reports are useless, says the road transport and bridges minister. Obaidul Quader said the enquiry reports on road traffic accidents are useless because the investigation committees do not carry out their responsibilities sincerely. He was replying to questions by reporters following a series of deadly road accidents since the last day of the three Holy Eid-ul-Fitr holidays. “The investigation committees formed in the aftermath of road crashes don’t seem to be of any use. They are formed casually.” More than 100 people died and scores others were injured in road accidents across the country in six days after Eid. Holy Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated in Bangladesh on July 18 (Saturday). According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), road crashes claimed the lives of 13 per 100,000 people who died in Bangladesh in 2013. Government figures suggest a little over 2,000 people die in road accidents every year in the country. But non-government organisation Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity said around 8,000 people were killed in some 6,000 road crashes in 2014. Probe committees are constituted after most of the incidents, but actions against those responsible are seldom taken. The road transport minister said ‘criminals’ get away exploiting the loopholes in the law, according to a news agency.

-mbz