A grim report released on Saturday by the Bangladesh Passengers’ Welfare Association (Jatri Kalyan Samity) revealed that at least 360 students were killed and 109 others injured in 320 road accidents across Bangladesh during the first six months of the year, spanning from January to June.

The figures were disclosed in a formal statement issued by Jatri Kalyan Samity Secretary General Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury to mark the 15th anniversary of the catastrophic Mirsarai tragedy.

Marking the somber milestone, Mozammel recalled the historic 2011 accident on July 11 when a mini-truck carrying students from several schools in Chattogram's Mirsarai upazila lost control and plunged into a ditch, killing 45 people, predominantly students. He noted that the catastrophe remains the deadliest single road accident in the country's history.

Emphasizing that cultivating awareness among students is vital for fostering safer roadways and a disciplined society, Mozammel asserted that in the absence of regular safety awareness programmes involving students, teachers and guardians to prevent a repeat of the Mirsarai tragedy, the country continues to lose a large number of students to road accidents every year, with many suffering injuries and some left permanently disabled.

He further alleged that no awareness programme on student road safety has been undertaken by the government since the 2011 disaster, and that no meaningful awareness has developed among students and guardians either, resulting in continued loss of young lives on the roads every year.

Detailing the association's month-wise breakdown for the January-June period, the data shows that January recorded 57 road accidents that killed 57 students and injured 22 others, while February saw 39 accidents claiming 47 student lives and leaving 11 injured.

March emerged as a heavily fatal month with 59 accidents killing 67 students alongside a single reported injury, whereas April recorded 51 accidents resulting in 56 student fatalities and 25 injuries.

May registered the highest monthly accident count at 61, leaving 73 students dead and 23 injured, and June concluded the half-year period with 53 accidents that caused 60 deaths and 27 injuries.

To curb the alarming loss of young lives, the Jatri Kalyan Samity outlined a comprehensive five-point set of recommendations.

The proposals advocate for incorporating road safety awareness content directly into school textbooks and organizing at least one hour-long awareness session every month in common rooms with all students, involving experts on road safety.

Furthermore, the association called for zebra crossings to be drawn at every road-crossing point on national and regional highways, particularly near educational institutions, alongside proper signboards marking school zones.

It also recommended deploying vest-clad road safety guards equipped with red flags to halt traffic and help students cross highways safely near schools located along major roads, while urging every educational institution to establish a dedicated road safety committee comprising both students and teachers.

With Inputs from UNB