Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Ameer Maqbul Ahmad has issued the following statement on 13th February, 2017 expressing deep concern as the number of road accidents and casualties have increased alarmingly in recent times.

“The numbers of mishaps and accidents have increased alarmingly in the roads as the investigation and trials are not conducted properly.

In addition, road accidents have increased in recent days as the outdated vehicles are running on the street as well as for the reckless driving. It is seen in many occasions that the driver is letting his helper to drive the vehicle. Accidents are taken place frequently due to such inexperienced and amateur drivers too. As if, there is no one to monitor whether the vehicles are following the traffic rules or not. The drivers also have dared to continue reckless driving as the investigation or trial for any previous accidents have completed so far. The Road Transport Authority has been overlooking the issue for years as well. But now peoples are in fear of transportation for the rampant increase of road accidents in now days.

In Bangladesh, on an average, 17 peoples are killed everyday due to road accidents. On 11th and 12th February, more than 50 people killed in road accidents nationwide. People are being killed or becoming crippled for such road mishaps and this has become a common phenomenon. But the government has no worries for this crisis.

A report of the English Daily ‘The Daily Star’ published on 13th February clearly depicts that in last 2015 and 2016, some 10 thousand 8 hundred and 93 road accidents had taken place which left 14697 people killed and wounded 37,850 peoples. In the first month of 2017 and first 12 days of the running February, the nation experienced another 81 road accidents in which 680 people have been killed and 1,323 people have been injured critically.

This statistic clearly substantiated that acute crisis in country’s roads and highways. No nation can run in this way. In this backdrop, I am urging the authorities concerned to undertake effective measures to prevent road accidents.”