Death trap on Ctg-Cox’s Bazar Highway: 15 killed in 48 hours
14 more killed in road crashes nationwide in 3 days
At least 15 people have been killed in three separate accidents within 48 hours on the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar highway at Jangalia in the Chunati sanctuary, Lohagara.
The series of crashes has highlighted safety concerns regarding the narrow, sloping, and winding nature of the road.
At least 14 more people have died in separate road crashes across the country over the past three days, further underscoring ongoing road safety issues.
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According to Highway Police data, a collision between a bus and a minibus on Monday (Eid day) at around 7:30am left five people dead. The following day, at around 4am, two microbuses veered off the road into a ditch, injuring seven passengers.
Today, at around 7:15am, a head-on collision between a microbus and a bus killed 10 people. Two others remain in critical condition.
Shubharanjan Chakma, officer-in-charge of Dohazari Highway Police Station, told The Business Standard, "The Jangalia section of the highway has a sloping road with a slight right turn. Speeding vehicles often do not have enough time to slow down when they encounter oncoming traffic, leading to accidents."
He added, "The entire stretch from Dohazari to Chunati is narrow. The two-lane highway is only 16 feet wide. Before this Eid, the seven-kilometre road from Dohazari to Keranihat was widened by five feet on each side. However, the 32-kilometre stretch from Keranihat to Chunati remains unchanged."
Local journalist Kaiser Hamid noted that the highway, built through the Chunati sanctuary, is steep, narrow, and has sharp bends, making it difficult for drivers to see oncoming vehicles.
"Most accidents occur on holidays when the road is relatively empty, but there is an influx of tourists heading to Cox's Bazar. Drivers unfamiliar with this route tend to speed, but they either fail to brake in time or the brakes do not function properly," he said.
He also pointed out that vehicles involved in the recent accidents were not from the area.
"The minibus in the first accident was from the Ukhiya-Teknaf route. One of the two microbuses that fell into the ditch on the second day was from Cumilla, while the other was from Dhaka. The microbus in [yesterday's] accident came from Jhenaidah," he added.
Calls for road expansion and safety measures
Mohammad Sohaib, a local resident and chairman of the Department of Development Studies at Chattogram University, highlighted the highway's significance.
"Due to the southern blue economy, Cox's Bazar's tourism industry, and the Teknaf land port, this is one of the busiest roads in the country. Yet, it is no wider than a neighbourhood alley," he said.
He identified three major accident-prone areas: Jangalia, Mithar Dokan, and Aziznagar. He also warned that at night, salt transported along the road makes it slippery, posing additional risks for tourist vehicles.
"Drivers unfamiliar with these conditions struggle to control their vehicles," he added.
Criticising the lack of road development, he said, "While unnecessary mega-projects like the Karnaphuli Tunnel have been built, a crucial highway like this has not been upgraded to four or six lanes. Beyond the loss of lives, this also harms the economy."
Subhash Barua, transport expert and vice president of the Planned Chattogram Forum, stated, "By global standards, our highways are not highways at all. The road in Lohagara is a single carriageway, meaning vehicles travel in both directions without a divider. A vehicle requires up to 1,500 square metres of space to travel safely at high speeds. If a road is too narrow, accidents are inevitable."
He stressed that widening the road is a long-term process and called for immediate safety measures.
"Engineering treatments and management are needed in accident-prone areas. Slow-moving lanes should be designated for vehicles entering the highway from surrounding areas," Subhash said.
However, he warned that these measures would not be effective without enforcement.
"Proper driver training is also essential to prevent further accidents," he added.
14 more killed in road crashes nationwide
At least 14 people were killed and several others injured in separate road accidents across Bangladesh over the past three days.
The crashes occurred in Kushtia, Gazipur, Cumilla, Madaripur, Bogura, and Dhaka, involving buses, motorcycles, cars, and autorickshaws.
In Kushtia, two young men, Rahat Islam Palash, 30, and Fahim Anik, 23, died when a speeding car hit their motorcycle on the Kushtia-Jhenaidah highway near Kushtia District School around 1:30am today.
Officer-in-Charge Mosharraf Hossein of Kushtia Model Police Station said they were heading to a pre-wedding event when the accident occurred.
Locals took them to Kushtia General Hospital, where Palash was declared dead. Fahim died while undergoing treatment, while another injured rider remains hospitalised.
On Tuesday, Gazipur Metropolitan Police Constable Roni Sikder, 26, died while travelling home to Tangail to witness the birth of his child.
The crash occurred on the Dhaka-Tangail highway in the Mouchak area of Kaliakoir at around 11:15am when a battery-run auto-rickshaw hit his motorcycle head-on.
Nawzor Highway Police Station OC Raish Uddin said Roni died instantly, and legal proceedings are underway.
In Cumilla, a Dhaka-bound Tisha Transport bus lost control and crashed into a tree in Chandina upazila on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway at around 6:30pm on Tuesday, killing three passengers. At least 15 others were injured, some critically.
In Dhaka, Ruhul Amin Sheikh, a 55-year-old security guard, died after being hit by a bus while crossing the road near the Kamalapur BRTC counter around 1pm on Tuesday, reports UNB. The bus driver has been detained.
A high-speed collision between three motorcycles in Madaripur's Shibchar upazila on Tuesday afternoon killed four people.
Two died on the spot, while two others succumbed to injuries while being transported to Dhaka.
On Monday, Shah Alam, 32, and his four-year-old daughter were killed when a speeding vehicle hit their motorcycle in Bogura.
In Gazipur, a bus struck an autorickshaw, killing two people and injuring two others. Angered by the incident, locals set the bus on fire, reports UNB.
Police have launched investigations into all incidents, with legal actions underway.
Our Chattogram correspondent Jobaer Chowdhury contributed to this report.
