Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Monday bemoaned the roads and highways in the country becoming death traps, as more and more lives are lost day by day in road accidents.
“Life is no longer safe for someone out on the roads. Many lives are lost in accidents every day. It seems that no one is responsible for ensuring road safety,” he said.
In a statement, the Jatiya Party Chief also voiced wonder that the daily loss of lives on roads has apparently become normalised.
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“Even today (Monday), at least 10 people were killed and more than 50 injured in a head-on collision between two buses in Rangpur's Taraganj,” he said.
Referring to statistics from the Road Safety Foundation, he said 519 people died in 458 road accidents in Bangladesh in August.
Quader noted 172 of the deaths were in motorcycle accidents, that covered an incredible 40 percent of the total accidents – far out of proportion with the number of motorcycles in relation to all other types of vehicles.
He said though such statistics have caused concern among the guardians, the authorities seem unconcerned about addressing the problem.
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GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, said the number of accidents are growing due to mismanagement and corruption. "Bangladesh seems to be the world champion of mismanagement."
He said thousands of crores are being collected every day as tolls, and that money is divided between different sectors.
The Jatiya Party chief also said though those involved in the transport sector can change their fortune with toll money, the lives of common people remain insecure.
“There is no visible initiative to secure the transport sector. A terrible uncertainty is created in the family of road accident victims. Every year thousands of people are getting crippled on the roads and they lead a helpless life afterwards,” he observed.
GM Quader said the country’s people expect the government to take effective steps to make the roads and highways safe.