At least 141 people were killed in road accidents on highways in Cumilla, including the Dhaka-Chattogram highway and other connecting roads, in the first eight months of this year.
Among them, 20 lives were lost at a single U-turn point in Padua Bazar on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, according to Highway Police data.
From January to August, 209 accidents left over 250 people injured, while 140 cases were filed in connection with the accidents, said the Cumilla regional office of Highway Police.
The month-wise death toll shows 16 fatalities in January, 16 in February, 10 in March, 22 in April, 20 in May, 25 in June, 18 in July and 14 in August.
Highway Police attributed the rising number of accidents to reckless speeding, wrong-way driving, careless pedestrian crossings, illegal U-turns and risky conditions of damaged roads.
They said while bus-truck collisions claim multiple lives at a time, fatal crashes involving high-speed motorcycles are also rising sharply.
Crashes are being reported not only on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway (104 km within Cumilla) but also on the Cumilla-Sylhet regional highway (66 km), the Cumilla–Noakhali highway (48 km), and other major roads in the district.
Tragic accidents frequently destroy the dreams and existence of entire families.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred on August 22 when a private car carrying a family was crushed under a lorry at Padua Bazar U-turn.
Omar Ali, his wife Nurjahan Begum, and their two sons Hashem and Kashem died instantly while returning to their home in Hosainpur village, Barura upazila.
CCTV footage showed the car attempting to cross without a safe gap before colliding with a bus coming from the wrong direction. A speeding lorry then lost control and smashed into the car, also hitting a CNG-run auto-rickshaw nearby.
Highway Police (East) Superintendent Khairul Islam said Cumilla’s highways lack proper infrastructure to handle the growing volume of traffic and pedestrians.
“Alongside police vigilance, the roads must be redesigned with service lanes, underpasses and overpasses. We are working on speed control, removing unfit vehicles and restricting three-wheelers, but manpower is limited,” he said.
He also said many U-turns, built near businesses and hotels, should be closed.
“These U-turns may benefit local businesses but they are killing people. The Roads and Highways Department must take responsibility to shut them down,” he added.
Abdul Hannan, organiser of Nirapad Chalok Chai, said the recurring deaths highlight systemic negligence.
“Reckless driving, unskilled drivers and weak enforcement keep fueling the death toll. Authorities show temporary vigilance after major crashes but soon everything goes silent. Planned highways and responsible drivers are the only way forward,” he said.