In spite of the many warning signals over the years, road accidents remain a shockingly common phenomenon in our country, claiming countless lives. The bus crash in Madaripur earlier this week is yet another gruesome reminder of the sorry state our roads, and road management, are in.
The incident that resulted in 19 casualties on Sunday has been determined to have been caused due to three major reasons -- all of which have been repeatedly identified in the past as causes for concern.
As per reports, the bus driver in question -- who had been driving for 33 hours -- not only exceeded the speed limit, but also did not own a professional driver's license. On top of the reckless driving, the vehicle itself had had its registration suspended temporarily due to being unfit.
All these findings beg the question: Who do we hold responsible for this tragedy?
This newspaper has editorialized numerous times on the mismanagement that vehicle owners continue to demonstrate, and their gross disregard for road safety laws -- unfortunately to no avail.
Many drivers behind the wheel in such incidents have been identified as unfit, unlicensed, overworked, or all of the above. And it is the duty of the vehicle company owners to determine who is qualified for the job.
It all comes down to this: The entire system is in a state of complete disarray, and it will continue to be so unless sweeping actions are taken to hold perpetrators at all levels accountable. The relevant authorities cannot take this sitting down any longer.
The sheer negligence of bus owners and drivers alike, paired with the lack of strict countermeasures, have led to too many lives being lost or permanently damaged.
That is certainly not the image we should promote for a developing Bangladesh -- especially not when the safety of the very people driving us forward is put on the line.