No end to horror

As deaths on the roads continue despite measures taken by the authorities to improve road safety, another five people were killed and three others injured in two separate road accidents in Netrakona and Dinajpur yesterday. 

In Netrakona, four people were killed and three others injured when a Kalmakanda-bound bus coming from Dhaka collided head on with a CNG-run auto-rickshaw at Mashka Kathalbari area on Kendua-Atharabari road at around 3:00pm.

Mohammad Fakruzzaman Jewel, additional superintendent of police (ASP) in Netrakona, quoting locals, said the accident occurred when two CNG-run auto-rickshaws, coming from the opposite direction, were over taking one another before one of them collided head on with the bus.

All of the victims were passengers of the CNG-run auto-rickshaw. Four of them died on the spot, while the three injured were taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH), said Imarat Hossain Gazi, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kendua Police Station. 

The dead were identified as Md Jamal Uddin, 35, the driver of CNG-run-rickshaw; and passengers Nazir Uddin, 25, Sharif Hossain, 19, both from Kendua, and Murad Hossain, 17, from Mohanganj upazila of Netrakona.

The injured were Golam Robbani, 22, Jasim Uddin, 40, and Shakir, 20 -- all day labourers from Kendua in Netrakona.

“All three of the injured patients were in critical condition. They are being given emergency treatment, and the next course of action will be taken after necessary examinations,” said Moniruzzaman Sani, the on-duty doctor at MMCH.

Police and Fire Brigade and Civil Defense personnel, on information, rushed to the spot and recovered the dead bodies, OC Imarat added.

Police also seized the bus. Its driver, however, managed to flee the scene, ASP Jewel said.

Meanwhile a mentally challenged woman was killed in an accident at Hakimpur upazila of Dinajpur, after a speeding truck hit her while she was crossing the port road in front of Hiramoti Cinema Hall, at around 12:00pm yesterday, police said.

The dead was identified as Firoza Begum, 35.

A report unveiled by Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger welfare platform, at a press conference on Friday, said that despite measures taken by the authorities to ensure road safety following the recent students' demo for safe roads, at least 259 people were killed and 960 injured in 237 road accidents from August 16-28, when the transport sector saw a huge rush of passengers during the Eid-ul-Azha festival.

The report added that the plying of unfit vehicles, carrying passengers in goods-laden vehicles, operating vehicles by unskilled and under-aged drivers, movement of three-wheelers on highways despite bans, reckless driving, and poor conditions of roads are the main reasons behind such accidents.