Play store
Rajbari: The Rajbari-Kushtia regional highway has seemingly turned into a death trap, with minor and major accidents occurring almost every day.
According to highway police data, 16 people have been killed and 51 injured in 40 accidents on a 31-kilometre stretch of the highway from Rajbari town to Shialdangi in Pangsha upazila over the past eight months.
Drivers blame the unrestricted movement of battery-run rickshaws, easy bikes, Nasimons, Karimons, bhotbhoti vehicles and other three-wheelers, along with unfit vehicles, speeding, risky overtaking and violations of traffic rules for many of the accidents. They also point to construction defects, saying the road becomes extremely slippery even after light rain, increasing the risk of crashes.
Altaf, a resident of Chandani, said minor and major accidents occur almost every day on the highway. “A few days ago, three accidents occurred on the same day. The situation becomes even worse after a little rain. When a vehicle brakes, it skids at least 10 hands [roughly 15 feet] before stopping. There have been so many accidents, yet the authorities have still not taken notice,” he said.
Truck driver Hafiz and bus driver Robin said excessive bitumen was used when the road was constructed, making it extremely slippery during rain. “Even if the driver applies the brakes, they do not work properly, and the vehicle can skid more than 10 hands. Besides, many small three-wheelers ply the highway, which is also a major cause of accidents. Accidents are particularly common when vehicles overtake near bends,” they said.
Madaripur Region Highway Police Superintendent Momtazul Ehsan Ahmed Humayun said an analysis showed that nine of the accidents were caused by overtaking and head-on collisions. Some others involved rear-end collisions, while excessive bitumen and the resulting slipperiness during rain also contributed to crashes.
“We have spoken to drivers, and they said the brakes do not work properly when it rains. We will contact the relevant authorities and the Roads and Highways Department regarding the matter,” he said.