The image of a 72 year old widow, who lost her five sons in a tragic road crash has sent a shock wave across the country. Deep sadness caused by her five sons’ tragic death has left Manu Bala Rani speechless. On January 8, her five sons were killed when a pickup van hit them while crossing the road at Chakaria in Cox’s Bazar. The father of the deceased Suresh Chandra Shil died on 28 January. Following religious rites, shraddha (a type of funeral) ceremony was held at Suresh's ancestral home ten days after his death. Suresh’s seven sons and two daughters went to attend the ceremony. The tragic accident occurred on the way back home together after the ceremony.
We express profound shock at the loss of lives of five brothers in the tragic road crash. Like Manu Bala’s family, country’s many families were ruined due to road crash. The government took several measures to enhance the vigilance on the roads and highways by utilising the modern information technology to prevent the road accidents. But the road crash still remains a reason for worry.
Therefore, the country is witnessing fatal road mishaps and many people are dying every day due to a huge numbers of small vehicles plying the highways and a lack of monitoring by the authorities concerned. Besides, chronic lack of investment in systemic, targeted, and sustained road safety programmes are also causing road crash.
All the
stakeholders should work together in
order to prevent
road mishaps
Experts are of the opinion that unhealthy competition among drivers and reckless driving, renting out buses on contractual basis, employing drivers without any license, lack of awareness among pedestrians, motorcyclists and small vehicle drivers, and tendency of overloading and overtaking among drivers violating traffic rules are responsible for the road crash.
Therefore, to us the matter is whether the streets are safe or not, whether the vehicles are abiding by traffic rules or not, whether vehicles have fitness or not and whether the drives are eligible or not. If the government fails to bring discipline in streets, massive development and progress in this sector will be faded.
We do not want to see the repetition of such deadly and tragic road crash that continue taking people’s lives and ruining many families.
In order to prevent road accidents, ministries concerned, authorities and non-government organisations must put forth concerted efforts through engineering measures.
