360 students killed in road accidents in 6 months: Passenger Welfare Association

A total of 360 students were killed and 109 injured in 320 road accidents across the country between January and June this year, according to the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association. The organisation emphasised the need to raise road safety awareness among students, teachers and parents to prevent a repeat of the Mirsarai tragedy.

The information was shared in a statement on Saturday, July 11, marking the 15th anniversary of the Mirsarai tragedy.

Association Secretary General Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said regular road safety programmes are lacking, resulting in numerous student deaths and injuries each year.

On July 11, 2011, 45 people, including students, were killed when a minibus carrying students plunged into a ditch in Mirsarai, Chattogram. The statement noted that despite being the deadliest single road accident in the country's history, adequate safety awareness programmes have not been implemented.

According to the association's data, 57 students died in 57 accidents in January, 47 died in 39 accidents in February, 67 died in 59 accidents in March, 56 died in 51 accidents in April, 73 died in 61 accidents in May, and 60 died in 53 accidents in June.

The organisation made five recommendations to prevent fatalities, including incorporating road safety into textbooks, holding regular awareness meetings, installing zebra crossings and signboards near schools, deploying trained road safety guards, and forming road safety committees at every institution.