Tuhin Shubhra Adhikary

The numbers of road accidents and deaths saw a sharp rise in the first three months of this year compared to the corresponding period last year. Experts blamed the spike on the authorities’ failure to implement specific measures and a lack of commitment to ensure road safety.

The government in September 2016 approved a project to turn a 190km two-lane road from Elenga to Rangpur into a four-lane highway with the view to boosting connectivity between the capital and the northern region.

The Roads and Highways Department is implementing most of its projects to turn two-lane highways into four-lane ones without safety audits, which, according to experts, is a major compromise on road safety.

Two Chinese companies have been barred from a project for a year over “fraudulent practices” in connection with the procurement process of 137 buses for bus rapid transit (BRT) services.

Laying of the main railway line from Bhanga to Jashore has already been completed and the authorities are carrying out different tests on this section with an aim to open the entire Dhaka-Jashore line for commercial operation within four months.

After a road crash, mobs often vandalise and torch vehicles and beat up drivers they deem responsible. The government is now going to make such activities punishable under the Road Transport Act 2018.

Most of the public-private partnership projects that were listed to be implemented under the Bangladesh-Japan joint initiative could not make any significant progress over the last six years because of multiple problems.

Bangladesh Railway is reviving its plan to build a 214km rail line from Bhanga to Kuakata via Madaripur, Barishal and Payra port following recent instructions from the prime minister.

The government is going to enact a law to introduce a uniform ticketing system for all public transport services including metro rail, buses, trains and launches.

The Chinese contractor for the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project halted some major work for 25 days since February 10 over pending payments.

The authority of Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway Project is going to build an interchange for smoother traffic movement at Baipail where three major roads meet.

The Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall on the capital’s Bailey Road had all the catalysts needed to set off a blaze.

Vehicles on four major national highways will have to pay tolls as the government looks to mobilise more funds for repair and maintenance work for the network of roads and highways.

Cox’s Bazar has to make do with just two daily trains against the huge demand, while travel time for people heading to the north by rail is longer than it should be because the Bangladesh Railway failed to get key projects going.

Two agencies of the shipping ministry want to take control of ferries currently operated by the Roads and Highways Department, as per a decision made at an inter-ministerial meeting, but the RHD is reluctant to relinquish control.   

The incidents of fire on two passenger trains ahead of the general elections were “acts of sabotage,” according to the probe committees of rail authorities.

Amid growing concerns over the large number of lives lost in crashes, the government has taken a step to enact a new law on road safety.  

Election code violations are rampant ahead of the January 7 election, but the Election Commission has yet to take any punitive action against the rule breakers.

The Awami League has nominated several controversial incumbents for the January 7 parliamentary election.

The government is planning to build four more bridges over the Buriganga with an aim to ease traffic congestion at the southern exit-entry points of the capital.