Md Hossain, Hathazari (Chattogram)

In absence of dividers on the Hathazari-Khagrachari highway in Chattogram, road accidents are constantly increasing. From Hathazari to Nazirhat, the number of casualties has been constantly increasing in accidents at various places.

Due to the lack of dividers on the road, there are incidents of head-on collisions between vehicles. The number of road accidents cannot be prevented due to inefficient drivers, unfit cars and general people's ignorance.

The victims said that due to the widening of the road, the number of casualties in accidents is increasing due to the ignorance of some people, inefficient drivers on the highway. Apart from that, battery-powered rickshaws and auto-rickshaws ply on this road, causing chaos on the road.

Accidents happen on the roads due to incompetent drivers. According to the Highway Police, the wide road, the number of vehicles that will travel on that road, whether it is suitable for pedestrian traffic or not, if the relevant authorities take the initiative to create a road suitable for safe traffic through a proper system of traffic engineering, the future road accidents will be reduced a lot. According to a statistic, almost 40 percent of drivers do not have a valid driving license.

Besides, 31 percent of drivers which are driving with a valid license have not received training from an approved institute. As a result, most of the drivers are not well aware of the traffic lawsAt one time, the terrible images of Dhaka-Chattogram Hatahazari different transport collisions can often be seen in newspapers. When major highways are upgraded to four lanes with dividers, it is naturally assumed that the number of road accidents will also decrease. But the Hathazari-Khagrachari highway has been developed into three lanes without dividers.

Road accidents have increased as a result of overtaking on this road. Many people try to run while crossing the road and face accidents. In the last few months, head-on collisions have resulted in most of the fatalities and injuries in road accidents. Explaining the cause of the accident, people from different professions said, "Most of the time, speeding vehicles lose control and collide with slower moving vehicles from behind while overtaking." f.Naima, a student of B, said that if the road was made into four lanes instead of three lanes, if dividers could have been constructed, then there would not have been so many accidents on this road. Pedestrians must keep a proper eye on both sides while crossing the 34-foot road. In October 2019

Former Member of Parliament Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud inaugurated the expansion of the 18 feet wide road to 34 feet wide in the 32 and a half kilometer section of Hathajari-Nazirhat-Khagrachari Regional Highway.

According to Roads and Public Roads sources, the development work of the road started under the Eastern Bangladesh Bridge Improvement Project (EBBIP). The contracting firm MAX and RAB are for the RCA development project

Under this project, the existing 18 feet wide road has been widened to 34 feet.

The 32.50 km road from Hathazari bus station zero point to Nazirhat-Fatikchari Heako-Manikchari-Matiranga-Khagrachari has been upgraded to three lanes.

Chattogram Roads and Highways Department said, the 34 feet wide Hathazari-Khagrachari highway, but dividers cannot be constructed on the three-lane road. Dividers will be constructed if the future road is larger.