Desk Report:
Most road accidents in the country are caused by driver incompetence, unawareness, arbitrariness and faulty vehicles, said the Honorable Minister in charge of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping, Mr. Sheikh Rabiul Alam, MP. He said that the unawareness of the people and the movement of different types of vehicles, both small and large, on the same road are also among the reasons for the accidents.
He said these things while speaking as the chief guest at the “Distribution of cheques among road accident victims and mass awareness program on road accident prevention” organized by the BRTA Trustee Board at the Rajbari Municipal Auditorium on Sunday (May 17, 2026). The program was organized by the District Administration and BRTA Rajbari Circle.
The event was presided over by Deputy Commissioner Rajbari, Mr. Afroza Parveen and was attended by the Honorable State Minister of Road Transport and Highways and the Ministry of Railways, Mr. Habibur Rashid, MP, and the Honorable State Minister of Cultural Affairs, Mr. Ali Newaz Mahmud Khayyam, MP. Also present were Mr. Md. Abdus Salam Mia, Administrator, District Council, Rajbari; BRTA Chairman Mr. Habibur Rahman; Secretary General of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association Mr. Saiful Alam, along with administration officials, media personnel, political colleagues and well-wishers.
Speaking as the chief guest at the event, Roads and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam said, “Today’s event is mainly to express solidarity and sympathy with the families of those killed and injured in road accidents. This is our overall failure and a national unintended accident.”
He said that the investigation report of the tragic accident that took place at Ferry Ghat No. 3 in Daulatdia on March 25 has been received by the government and the report mentions driver error and vehicle problems as the main causes of the accident.
At the same time, he also said that the government has taken up a project worth Tk 2,800 crore with the support of the World Bank to prevent road accidents. Under this project, various activities including driver training, health check-ups, eye and blood pressure checks, and drug addiction detection will be conducted regularly. “This program will continue until the roads are safe,” he said.
Speaking as a special guest, Honorable State Minister for Road Transport and Highways Division and Ministry of Railways Mr. Habibur Rashid, MP said that road accidents are not just a statistic, but also involve the tears and long-term suffering of countless families. He said that the government is working in a coordinated manner to ensure road safety and called on everyone including drivers, owners, and passengers to be more aware and responsible. At the same time, he prayed for the forgiveness of the souls of those who died in the accident and expressed deep condolences to the affected families.
Speaking as a special guest, State Minister for Cultural Affairs, Mr. Ali Newaz Mahmud Khayyam, MP, said, “This assistance is not compensation, but an attempt to express solidarity with the pain of the affected families.” He urged the Minister to modernize the management of Daulatdia Ferry Ghat and prayed for the peace of the souls of the deceased.
Mr. Rezaul Karim spoke on behalf of the victims of the accident at the event. He said that due to the goodwill and sincerity of the government, the affected families received assistance within just 1 month and 24 days of the accident. He called for taking appropriate measures based on the investigation report so that such accidents do not happen again in the future.
It is worth noting that on March 25, the BRTA Trustee Board distributed checks of Tk 2.6 million among a total of 62 people who were killed and injured in various road accidents in the district, including the bus accident that occurred at Daulatdia Ferry Ghat No. 3.
