No more lives are tragically lost under the garbage truck

Mahin was the greatest hope and reliance of his parents. Due to financial crisis, elder son Mahfuz couldn't continue his studies after secondary school. With great difficulty, parents were managing the education of younger son Mahin and daughter Fatema. Mahin Ahmed, a student of class seven at Matijheel Government Ideal School, was not only good at studies but also excelled in sports. He had become familiar face among the children and adolescents of the neighborhood through cricket, football, and badminton. However, Mahin was more passionate about cycling than these. He used to talk about the dream of becoming a great cyclist among his friends. An accident has shattered the dreams surrounding Mahin, engulfing the entire family.

On Thursday (April 25), around 9:00 PM, tragedy struck as 13-year-old Mahin lost his life in a collision with a garbage truck belonging to the Dhaka South City Corporation near his home in Uttar Mugda, Madinabagh area. Mahin's family informed the media that his mother, Jyotsna Akhter, had observed fasting on Thursday. Mahin had his Iftar meal with her in the evening. After Iftar, he told his mother he would leave the house. The plan was to return the next day from his uncle's house in the same area. On his way there, a garbage truck of the city corporation came from the wrong direction in the Uttar Mugda Madinabagh area and fatally hit him.

The mother keeps fainting upon losing her son repeatedly. The father is engulfed in darkness. Siblings are confused. The brightest hope of the family has dimmed. How will they cope with this loss, this sorrow? Local residents have seized the killer vehicle. During the accident, the assistant driver, Mr. Rubel, was found in the driver's seat. Inspector (Investigation) Mr. Kamrul Hossain of Mugda Police Station informed the media, "Rubel has been arrested and sent to court. He couldn't produce a driving license."

Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh of Dhaka South City Corporation has participated in Mahin's funeral. He informed journalists, "The designated driver of the city corporation was not driving the vehicle. It was given to others on hire. This will not be tolerated. An investigation is already underway. We want to ensure a fair trial."

While Rubel might face appropriate punishment through a fair trial, Mahin will never return. Just like Mahin, 13 other lives have been lost in the past 3 years in accidents involving the negligent garbage trucks of the city corporation. In most cases, no action has been taken against those responsible for these accidents. On November 24, 2021, Nayeem Hasan, a student of Notre Dame College, lost his life in a collision with a garbage truck of the city corporation in Gulistan. The next day, on November 25, journalist Ahsan Kabir Khan died in a similar accident in the Panthapath area. Following Nayeem's death in the garbage truck accident, students had taken to the streets demanding safe roads.

In the aftermath of the student protests, on November 27, 2021, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) decided to halt the operation of waste-carrying vehicles during the day. Instructions were given to carry out waste disposal work from 10 PM to 7 AM. However, DNCC authorities have failed to implement this decision despite making the announcement. Waste transportation vehicles are still seen operating on various roads of the capital during the day.

People who travel on Dhaka's roads are well aware that waste-carrying vehicles often move recklessly at high speeds. Many times, the drivers of these vehicles drive on the wrong side of the road, endangering others without any concern. What's the reason for this? It's because there's a lack of proper management in the waste transportation fleet of the city corporation. These heavy vehicles often lack fitness certificates, and skilled drivers are in short supply. If the city corporation doesn't ensure accountability, the number of such accidents is likely to increase. Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has assured the certainty of a fair trial for Mahin's killer, Mr. Rubel. We hope that under his leadership, measures will be taken to ensure that no more lives are tragically lost under the wheels of these monstrous vehicles.