A fatal roundabout

It was around 11:00am yesterday.

A group of people were standing beside the Bashiruzzaman Chattar in port city's Karnaphuli Shah Amanat Bridge area.

Some just got off a bus while others were waiting to board one.

Meanwhile, vehicles continued to stop abruptly to take in or drop off passengers in front of the entrance to the bridge near the roundabout.

Among the people were Hasina Akter, 40, and her six-year-old son Imran.

The mother and son just got off a bus and were waiting for another one to go home at Madam Bibir Hat of Sitakunda. Hasina went to see her ailing mother at Satkania upazila.

While waiting with others, she held onto Imran's hand so that he did not start running on the busy street, frequented by trucks, busses and human-hauliers.

Little did they know what was going to happen in the next few seconds.

A trucker, while exiting the bridge, lost control over the wheel and ploughed through the group of people. Hasina died on the spot and Imran was rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

A total of four people were killed and nine others injured by the accident. Three other deceased are Nasrin Begum, 35, Shah Paran, 28, and Nurul Absar, 45, said police.

Siddique Ahmed, an eyewitness, said, “People were standing on the road; suddenly a truck ran over them, leaving four dead and many injured.”

Siddique, also convener of South Chittagong Passengers' Welfare Association, said the truck rammed several rickshaws and auto-rickshaws.

An aerial view of Bashiruzzaman Chattar. Photo: File Photo

All the victims were taken to CMCH, where the four were declared dead around 11:30am. The injured are not out of danger yet, said Dr Faisal Kabir, emergency medical officer.

OC Pranab Chowdhury of Bakalia Police Station said after unloading cement in Karnaphuli upazila, located on the other side of the river, the truck was heading back to the city.

While exiting the bridge, the driver lost control over the vehicle due to a brake failure, he said, quoting the trucker. The trucker, Mohammed Jahir, 26, was detained for quizzing, he added. Police also seized the truck.

FAMILIES IN MOURNING

Family members of the victims are still reeling from the shock.

Hasina Akter's husband Md Hossain was trying to cope with the loss, but in vain. He did not know how to console his two daughters. They were crying beside their wounded brother Imran at CMCH.

Meanwhile, Halima Akter, wife of injured Abdus Sattar, a rickshaw-puller, could not control her tears. “He is the sole earning member… How am I going to bear the treatment cost?”

EXPERTS BLAME FAULTY DESIGN

According to experts, the roundabout has become a death trap for commuters as accidents continue to occur due to faulty design.

In the last two years, over 30 accidents occurred leaving more than 20 people dead and over a hundred injured, said Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Passengers' Welfare Association.

Contacted, town planner Engr Subhash Barua said the roundabout was built too close to the bridge. As a result, vehicles exiting the bridge often cannot control their speed and consequently accidents take place.

It should have been built minimum 100 metres (300ft) away from the bridge. But it was built not more than six metres (20ft) away, he said. He also held traffic mismanagement responsible for accidents.

Another town planner, Zarina Hossain, said the road and roundabout were not constructed in a planned way. Also, there is no designated spot for the passengers to get in or off the bus. As a result, they are forced to stand on the road, she added.

However, Zulfiqar Ahmed, executive engineer of Roads and Highways Department, said he did not think there was any engineering fault.

He said there was some mismanagement on the road, which triggers accidents. “We will talk about the road's design with experts and would take steps as per their suggestions.”