Editorial
Road crashes claim lives during holidays
Take stock of the situation and act accordingly
That 42 people died in road crashes in different parts of the country during the Eid holidays comes as shocking news. This is more so because the tally may well increase since the rush for returning to working places is not yet over. It speaks volumes about the yet-to-be-repaired as well as perilous stretches of roads and highways across the country despite continued uproar from media and public.
While we highly appreciate the incumbent communications minister for his efforts to improve the conditions of our roads, and also for his surprise visits to cleanse Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and Bangladesh Roads and Transport Authority (BRTA) of all unscrupulous elements; we think a lot more needs to be done. We believe the minister is taking stock of what has been done and what still needs to be done.
Having said that, we'd like to draw attention to the mad rush that people were caught up in during the days preceding Eid. While the rush had mounted fairly a week before Eid, the highways became comparatively free and unclogged just one or two days before the Eid day. It proves that the rush could well be avoided if only the holidaymakers thought differently.
We think life is more important than time. One should not risk it by boarding an overcrowded bus, train, launch in a way that may jeopardize his/her life. Therefore, we think this hellish scramble to get home must be tempered with judicious planning.
The transporters are often seen to encourage the rush and then bank on it to make some quick money. They should also be held responsible and made to ease the rush instead of worsening it by scheduling their trips rationally.
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