Highway police in Brahmanbaria have started a drive to take legal action against errant drivers and reduce accidents on Dhaka-Sylhet and Cumilla-Sylhet highways.
Brahmanbaria is the gateway to the eastern part of the country. About 76 kilometers of roads in the district are under Dhaka-Sylhet and Comilla-Sylhet highways. More than 50,000 vehicles ply on these roads every day.
Accidents often occur on these roads due to various reasons including high speed of vehicles, movement of prohibited three wheelers in violation of law, road curves.
The district's Khatihata highway police filed 498 cases in the last three months for violating rules.
Among the cases, 253 were filed against three-wheelers and 137 against high-speed vehicles. Besides, 108 other cases were filed by highway police.
Some makeshift shops which were installed occupying highways were also demolished during the police drive.
Police have been conducting drives by setting up checkpoints at various points, including the Bisha Road intersection, Kuttapara, Shahbazpur, and the Kautoli intersection of Dhaka-Sylhet and Comilla-Sylhet highways for the last one week.
During these drives, police used speed guns to measure the speed of moving vehicles, took action against rules violators, and filed cases against them.
Police are checking whether drivers are driving after taking alcohol or drugs. Besides, measures have been taken to stop the movement of three wheelers on the highways.
Locals said although the highway police are working with their small number of manpower to prevent these accidents, accidents are happening on the roads due to the lack of awareness of the drivers.
Akul Chand Bishas, officer-in-charge of Khantihata Highway, said that the highway police is prioritizing the safety on the highways. "Deaths and injuries on the roads and highways of Brahmanbaria have reduced significantly compared to previous times."
"Additionally, we are continuously working to ensure a smooth flow of traffic on the four-lane road up to Dharkhar in Ashuganj. Over the last 3 months, the highway police have filed 498 cases against various vehicles for violating traffic laws," he said.
Road accidents in Bangladesh are still one of the leading causes of deaths.
A total of 10,858 people were killed and 12,875 others injured in 7,617 road, railway and waterway accidents across the country in 2022, said a report of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers' welfare platform, in January 2023.
Of them, 6,749 road accidents left 9,951 people dead and 12,356 others injured which are the highest figures in the last eight years.
Deaths in road crashes saw a rise by 27.43 per cent in 2022 than that of 2021, it said.
