Govt claims improved Eid travel despite isolated accidents

Bangla Press Desk:  Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam has claimed that this year’s Eid travel was largely smooth, despite a few accidents that left the nation saddened.

He made the remarks on Sunday (29 March) while speaking to reporters after a high-level meeting at the Secretariat aimed at strengthening government efforts to prevent road accidents and improve overall road safety.The minister said around 15 million people had left Dhaka within three days ahead of Eid and, compared to previous years, the journey was relatively comfortable and safe.

“In the past, people often faced long hours of congestion or were unable to return home due to a lack of transport, sometimes even spending Eid day on the road. This time, we believe more people were able to travel home safely and with ease than at any time before,” he said.

However, he acknowledged that two major accidents and a few other incidents had caused casualties, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives. “No one wants even a single life to be lost,” he added.

When asked about responsibility for the accidents, the minister said no specific party would be blamed outright, but action had been taken against those found initially involved. He said both legal and departmental measures had been enforced where necessary.

Citing an example, he noted that two railway guards had been dismissed and arrested, while a sub-assistant engineer responsible for their supervision had also been removed from service.

Referring to the recent bus accident at Daulatdia ferry ghat in Rajbari, the minister said authorities had sought an explanation from Shohagh Paribahan. He warned that if the response was unsatisfactory, the company’s entire fleet could face cancellation of registration or route permits.

The minister also expressed disagreement with casualty figures released by various non-government organisations. He said official data compiled by agencies including the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and the Roads and Highways Department showed a total of 170 deaths across road, rail and waterway accidents over the Eid period.According to him, 47 people were killed on highways, 28 in waterway incidents and 17 in railway accidents, with the remainder occurring on local roads and other accidents.

He noted that 187 deaths were recorded during the same period last year, adding that while any loss of life was unacceptable, the situation had improved compared to previous years.

“We are not satisfied yet, but it would be wrong to say the situation is not under control. We aim to reduce accidents further in the future,” he said.