Probe Body Finds Bus Driver’s Drowsiness, Over Speed Of Bus, Pickup

The 7-member probe body formed to investigate the road accident in Faridpur on April 16 that claimed 15 lives identified over speed of both the bus and the pick up van and drowsiness of the bus driver behind the deadly road crash.

The committee led by additional district magistrate Md Ali Siddique submitted the report to Deputy Commissioner Md Qamrul Ahsan Talukder on Sunday afternoon. DC Qamrul said they will forward the report to the higher authorities concerned to take measures as per the report.

Probe committee head Md Ali said,”We talked to people from all departments concerned about the accident. I visited the spot and tried to find out why this tragic accident occurred, I tried to make some recommendations to prevent deaths in road crashes.”

The drowsiness of the bus driver due to long time driving after the Eid and over speed of the bus and the pickup van were blamed for the fatal accident, reads the report. The report also put forward some recommendations to prevent such road accidents.

All those driving on the roads or highways should know and abide by the relevant law, set up a road divider or widen the road in the accident prone areas, drivers of vehicles should not drive without break, autorickshaws or small risky vehicles shouldn’t be allowed on the highways, said the report.

On April 16, at least 15 people including six women and two children were killed and 15 others injured in a head-on collision between the bus and the  pickup van on the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Sadar upazila. All the victims were passengers of the pickup van although carrying passengers in pickup vans or trucks is prohibited in the country.

The deceased included five members of a family. Later, Rapid Action Battalion arrested the bus driver Khokan Mia from Jhenaidah.

A case was filed accusing the bus driver with Kotowali police station in this regard._UNB