Road Transport and Bridges Minister Robiul Alam stated on Friday that despite the immense challenge of transporting millions of passengers and sacrificial animals in a short period, this year’s Eid-ul-Adha journey is expected to be comfortable.
Speaking as the chief guest at a compensation distribution ceremony for road accident victims at the Cumilla District Shilpakala Academy, the Minister noted that moving approximately 2.5 crore people across the country is a massive undertaking.
He emphasized that while infrastructure limitations exist, the journey can be made hassle-free through public awareness, cooperation, and favorable weather conditions.
During the event, organized by the District Administration and BRTA, the Minister distributed 48.9 million taka in compensation checks to the families of 86 deceased victims and 33 injured individuals.
Each family of the deceased received 500,000 taka, while the injured received between 200,000 and 300,000 taka.
Addressing the issue of road safety, Minister Robiul Alam highlighted that around 4,500 people die in road accidents annually due to driver incompetence, unfit vehicles, and a lack of public awareness.
He reaffirmed the government's commitment to reducing these figures and announced that work is underway to upgrade the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway to 10 lanes.
State Minister for Railways and Road Transport Habibur Rashid, who also attended the program, added that authorities are identifying accident-prone "black spots" to take preventive measures, which has already led to a decline in accident rates.
The ceremony was attended by local lawmaker Monirul Haque Chowdhury, Road Transport Secretary Dr. Md. Ziaul Haque, BRTA Chairman Mohammad Habibur Rahman, and senior district officials.
Local representatives also used the platform to call for greater transparency in highway project expenditures and accurate casualty reporting.
