‘Reckless driving responsible’

Reckless driving was the reason behind Thursday's fatal road accident in Tangail, which killed nine people, including eight members of two families, said law enforcers.

"Three 'O's-- overloading, over speeding and overtaking -- were reasons behind the accident," said Sub-Inspector Jahangir Alam, in-charge of Elenga highway police outpost.

"The microbus was carrying 16 people, including its driver and helper, against its capacity of 12 people. The driver crossed the speed limit and the vehicle collided head-on with the truck while overtaking another vehicle," he said.

"The driver of the truck was also responsible as he did not move the vehicle aside before the collision although there was sufficient space," he said.

Sub-Inspector Shah Alam of Elenga Highway Police filed a case against the two drivers with Tangail Model Police Station a day after the accident, he said.

The unidentified truck driver fled from the scene after the accident while the critically injured driver of the microbus is undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, he added.

Khalilur Rahman Patwari, officer-in-charge of Gorai Highway Police Station, blamed reckless driving, unfit vehicles, and unskilled drivers (often having no valid driving license) for most of the road accidents that often cause casualties.

Habibur Rahman, assistant director of Tangail office of Bangladesh Road Transport Authorities, blamed overloading, over speed and overtaking as reasons behind most of the accidents.

However, driver Mir Lutfar Rahman Lalju, also a transport workers' leader in Tangail, blamed lack of proper road management for most of the accidents. He also termed simultaneous movement of different kinds of high and low speed vehicles on the highway as a main reason behind the accidents. Besides, lack of necessary road signs, overpasses and underpasses, setting up of markets and other structures just beside the road and lack of awareness among the passers-by and passengers are other reasons behind the accidents, he added. 

A driver seeking anonymity said some vehicle owners do not arrange proper maintenance or repair of their vehicles until those fall in accident or break down on the road.

A bus owner alleged that many of the accidents occur when drivers drive vehicles after taking drugs.     

“In most of the cases after accidents, the culprits escape punishment due to poor investigation and weak charge sheet submitted by the law enforcers. It is a reason behind the increasing number of road accidents,” said advocate S Akbar Khan, also public prosecutor in Tangail. 

In some cases, the family members of the accident victims accept it as their fate while the witnesses show unwillingness to give evidence in court, he added.