Road minister Obaidul Quader refuses floral greetings at Sirajganj accident site

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has declined a floral reception offered by Awami League leaders at an accident site on the Sirajganj highway.

The ruling party leader visited Tuesday’s accident spot after 30 people died in mishaps on the highway in the six days around Eid.

Several leaders of the party and its front organisations greeted the minister with flowers at the behest of the local MP when he reached Mulabarhi, lying to the west of the Bangabandhu Bridge, around noon.

“I have talked with the MP. I can’t accept flowers standing on dead bodies,” the minister was quoted as telling the leaders.

Sirajganj Sadar Upazila Chairman Riaz Uddin, the party district unit’s former publication secretary Helal Uddin and the district unit Krishak League General Secretary Maniruzzaman Moni were among the leaders present.

On Monday midnight, a bus ran over an autorickshaw killing all five travelling on it in the Mulibarhi area.

Only the day before, 17 people had died in a head-on collision between two buses in the same area.

On July 16, another bus rammed a motorcycle killing three.

A further five died on the next day after a bus lost control near Baniagati and fell into a roadside ditch.

At the site, the minister said the government would put up road dividers at Mulabarhi, Konabarhi, Nalka and Kadda on the western link of Bangabandhu Bridge within two months to prevent accidents.

The construction works for the highway’s extension to four lanes would begin after September.

He directed the local administration to take measures to restrict the movement of autorickshaws, easybikes and other local human haulers, known as Bhotbhoti, Nosimon and Korimon.

He asked the authorities to ensure two drivers in the long-distance vehicles.

“A driver can fall asleep during his long journey, which sometimes leads to accidents.”

Awami League Presidium Member Quader also instructed the local administration to remove the billboards next to the highway, bearing photographs of the prime minister, ministers and MPs.