Cumilla: Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam has emphasized that the government is taking an integrated approach to ensure road safety throughout the country. ‘Various initiatives are being implemented to reduce road accidents, including infrastructure development, training skilled drivers, controlling unfit vehicles, and increasing public awareness,’ he stated at an event held at the District Shilpakala Academy.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Cumilla District Administration and the BRTA Trustee Board organized the event to distribute cheques among road accident victims and their families. The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting families affected by road accidents. He highlighted the concerning statistic that around 4,000 to 4,500 people lose their lives in road accidents every year in Bangladesh.
The minister noted that the government is actively working to reduce road accidents by identifying unfit vehicles, unskilled drivers, and a lack of public awareness as the primary causes. Strict monitoring and effective measures are being implemented to address these issues. He emphasized that responsibility should not only lie with the public but also with transport owners, drivers, and all concerned parties. Defective vehicles should be banned from roads, and only skilled drivers should operate vehicles, he added.
He further explained that accidents could be significantly reduced through infrastructure improvements such as constructing underpasses and overpasses at risky intersections, expanding safe U-turn facilities, and road widening projects. While expressing sympathy for affected families, the minister stated that the state stands by the victims’ families, although it cannot replace lost loved ones. The government is exploring ways to rehabilitate families who lose their earning members in accidents, with discussions ongoing to prioritize affected family members in education, employment, and other services.
State Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Habibur Rashid highlighted the government’s strategy to enforce traffic laws strictly, produce skilled drivers, and ensure vehicle fitness. He mentioned that relevant agencies have been instructed to coordinate efforts to ensure safe and smooth travel during the upcoming Eid.
Cheques totaling Taka 4.89 crore were distributed among injured road accident victims and the families of those killed in Cumilla. Concerned government officials, local MPs, and public representatives attended the event. Earlier, the road transport minister visited the Meghna-Gumti Bridge toll plaza to inspect preparations for safe, comfortable, and uninterrupted Eid travel, providing necessary instructions to enhance passenger services.