How long will our roads remain death trap?

A heartbreaking accident took place at Savar's Boliarpur on the morning of June 4, the same day when the whole country was thunderstruck and brought us down by the news of one death after another in a huge explosion after a fire broke out at the BM depot in Sitakunda. A Dhaka-bound bus ran over an Atomic Energy Commission bus in the other lane, killing four people on the spot and seriously injuring several others. So far 6 people breathed their last breath in this accident. Every unfortunate death is excruciating, causing deep wounds in the minds and raised furore among the people.

Pooja Sarkar is one of the few officials of the Atomic Energy Commission who was killed in the road accident that day. The girl who lost her mother in childhood grows up with a lot of hardship and struggle being able to get admitted as a student of 41st batch of Physics Department of Jahangirnagar University. She completed her graduation with distinction, and then she joined the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission as a scientific officer. She had married the love of her life, Tanmoy Majumder, who graduated from Dhaka Medical College, made a home of love and dreams. After marriage, she regretted that they did not stay together for a long time due to the posting of her husband Dr. Tanmoy. By any means, she managed to change her husband's posting and brought him to Manikganj.

After a long time, the couple started to live under one roof again. 6-month-old unborn child in the womb of Pooja. New dreams in the eyes of the two. All in all, the excitement of Pooja's happiness has been revealed on the Facebook status of his uncle Subrata Nandi. But her happiness did not last long. Everything is like a tale! Everything was shattered in the blink of an eye when a speeding long- haul bus rammed into the BAEC officer's bus carrying scientist Pooja Sarkar. Who will take responsibility for this incident?

Last June 11 was Pooja Sarkar's birthday. A picture went viral through social media where is seen Tanmoy Majumdar is cutting a birthday cake with a picture of his dead wife in his lap. But her last year's birthday was also a joy, a wave of love. Dr. Tanmoy's gloom face exposes that breathing does not always mean to live. Will he be able to forget everything and come back to normal life? Will such tragic incidents continue to happen in the name of accidents? Is there no end to this crying?

Road accidents are nothing new in this country. Every day, somewhere, someone is killed on the street, or maimed. This can no longer be called an accident because of the constant reckless uncontrollable driving, unlicensed driver, and unfit car crashing into a place where people are dying. Every person in this country has to go out at the risk of their lives. The whole road is like a death pit. Our day begins with extreme uncertainty. Death is now just a number in this country!

According to the information received, 6284 people were killed and 7468 injured in road accidents last year. In May this year alone, 1,029 people were killed in road accidents. According to the World Bank, Bangladesh has the highest death toll in road accidents in South Asia. But is such kind of information disturbing the people concerned at all?

Although the number of road accidents has increased alarmingly, no effective measures have been taken yet to control it. Sad but true, when students started a movement demanding safe roads, the student wing of the government party attacked them! Even then the government was forced to pass the road safety law but it has not been implemented properly. Instead, the government was forced to amend the law under pressure from transport workers' leaders.

The government is a kind of hostage to the leaders of various organizations related to road and transport. They raise fares if they want to, they ran over people if they want to, they call transport strikes if they want and make the whole country unusable! They are so powerful that they do not care about rules and regulations of the country. On the other hand, there are allegations of corruption against the BRTA. Instead of serving the people, some corrupt employees of the BRTA are harassing the people for years. Obaidul Quader, Minister of Road Transport and Bridge, conducted several raids but the real situation has not changed yet! The driving license matchs yet now without driving test if you are ready with bribe. The bus which ran over BAEC officials that day had no fitness, even no driver's license. So how did it on the road? There are also many allegations against the traffic polices. People are also not aware of traffic rules while moving. The overall situation in the transport sector is dire. But how long?