360 Students Killed in Road Crashes in Six Months

A total of 360 students were killed in 320 road accidents across Bangladesh during the first six months of this year. At least 109 students were injured in those accidents. The information was provided by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, based solely on reports published in the media from January to June.

According to the organization’s statistics, 57 students were killed and 22 injured in 57 road accidents in January. In February, 47 students were killed and 11 injured in 39 road accidents. In March, 67 students were killed and one injured in 59 road accidents. In April, 56 students were killed and 25 injured in 51 road accidents. In May, 73 students were killed and 23 injured in 61 road accidents. In June, 60 students were killed and 27 injured in 53 road accidents.

In a statement issued Saturday marking the 15th anniversary of the Mirsharai tragedy, Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity Secretary General Md. Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury said, “If students can be made aware, it is possible to build safe roads as well as a disciplined nation.”

He mentioned that, due to the absence of regular programs on important road safety issues, such as creating awareness among students, teachers and guardians to prevent a recurrence of the Mirsharai tragedy, numerous students are killed in road accidents every year, many are injured, and many suffer permanent disabilities.

The statement said that on July 11, 2011, a minitruck carrying students from several schools in Mirsharai upazila of Chattogram lost control and plunged into a ditch, killing 45 students. Even after such an incident, the deadliest single road accident in the country’s history, the government did not undertake any road safety awareness programs. Awareness has also not developed among students and guardians. In such a reality, countless students continue to lose their lives in road accidents every year.