Bangladesh, too many dead on the streets: students paralyze the country
The protests have been going on for days after the death of two students in the capital. The victims were hit by an illegal driver. In the first few months of 2018 there were 3 thousand deaths. Throughout the country there are 3.2 million vehicles but 2.5 million drivers with a driving license.
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Thousands of students are blocking several cities in Bangladesh and are protesting the insecurity on the roads and the recklessness of drivers, which cause hundreds of deaths every year. The protests began this week in Dhaka and spread like wildfire in several districts. In recent times, in some areas there have also been incidents of violence and vandalism.
The origin of the demonstrations is the death of two students knocked down in the Bangladeshi capital by an illegal bus driver. The two young men died on impact and all the road victims, their colleagues complain, deserve justice.
The two boys were called Diya Khanam Mim and Abdul Karim Rajib and attended the 12th class at Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College. Rafiq Islam, a student from Utara University, told AsiaNews that on July 29th they "were hit head on while they were on the dock waiting for the bus. The driver was working illegally, as he did not have a regular driving license. We blocked the streets and protested with banners, and checked the drivers' licenses ".
Government sources report that thousands of accidents occur every year in Bangladesh. So far this year alone there have been about 3 thousand victims. The accidents are mostly caused by drivers' imprudence, sudden maneuvers by drivers of public transport and rickshaws, speeding by drivers and pedestrian carelessness. Added to this is the incompetence of illegal drivers; in the country there are 3.2 million registered vehicles but 2.5 million drivers with a driving license.
In Dhaka hundreds of students of Notre Dame College, one of the best Catholic institutions in the country, took to the streets. The young people blocked the intersection of Shapla Chattor for about three hours, in the heart of the financial district. Shuvo Rahaman, one of the participants, says: "We want safe roads and to go home safely after school. If the government were to commit itself sincerely, the question would be solved. Authorities must act against unlicensed and underage drivers ".
The attitude of Shajahan Khan, minister of maritime transport and president of the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Federation, the major trade union organization for road hauliers, was harsher. Speaking to the journalists interviewing him about the incident, he replied with a smile and stated that "a few days ago in India 33 people died, but nobody complained". The sentence ignited the controversy; to calm the demonstrators, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina intervened and condemned what was said by her government minister.
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08/04/2016 09:35
17/07/2020 14:38
