Buses ply in opposite direction on highway : 1500 students of two schools at risk in Sirajganj
Habibun Naher Ruma, Sirajganj
About 22,000 to 25,000 vehicles from 22 districts of northern and southern regions of the country ply daily on the western link highway of Jamuna Bridge in Sirajganj, the gateway to North Bengal. Many hotels and restaurants have been built on both ends of the Sirajganj section of this busy highway.
There is a long-standing complaint that hundreds of vehicles of various types of transport are crossing the designated lanes of the highway and moving in the opposite direction to stop at these hotels.
In this, about 1,500 students of various educational institutions on the side of this highway are crossing the road at risk every day.
On the ground last Sunday, it was seen that in Panchlia area of Sirajganj-Dhaka-Bogra highway, buses of several Dhaka-bound companies were turning and entering the North Bengal-bound lane instead of the Dhaka-bound lane. After going to the hotel and restaurant from there, after the rest stop, it is going to Dhaka by turning in the opposite direction from Pachalia area.
Meanwhile in Pachlia area there is Pachlia Government Primary School and Pachlia Badrul Alam High School. About 1,500 students of two educational institutions are crossing the road risking their lives every day. But because the traffic of the Dhaka-bound lane is moving through the North Bengal-bound lane, the students and pedestrians have to face the extreme inconvenience of crossing the highway every day. School students and pedestrians often do not understand whether a vehicle is coming from the left or right side.
Dulal Hossain, a fifth-grade student of Pachlia Government Primary School, told The Country Today that, "Cars come from all around to come to our school. Many people have died here. We are afraid to cross the road, cars come from both sides. It would be good if these stop, we are afraid to come to school."
Anger is growing as hundreds of buses are diverted to stop at hotels and restaurants.
Another student said. Jewel Hossain said, "We can't cross the road without Sirs. Cars come from the opposite direction. If the cars follow the rules and the police are there, then we would have benefited.
Van driver Abdul Barek said Since the Hatikumrul highway interchange, the buses have been going to the hotel in the opposite direction. Due to which Pachlia underpass is very dangerous. As there are food hotels and restaurants on the opposite side, the buses are going in this color line. No one sees it for mysterious reasons.
The head teacher of Pachlia Government Primary School said, "We have two schools here. About 1,500 students cross the highway. Although we sometimes allow them to cross, they come separately when they come. There are hotels next to them, many cars travel in the opposite direction 24 hours a day. We have verbally informed various administration offices. However, for unknown reasons, there is no result."
According to local sources, onlookers and on-the-ground investigations, famous expensive and unfamous Jhauli buses including Desh Travels, National Travels, Hanif Paribahan, Shyamoli Paribahan, C Line and Sarkar Travels, cargo trucks and microbuses and private cars including CNG-powered three-wheelers, auto-rickshaws and vehicular collisions with vehicles coming from the opposite direction. About half a hundred people have been killed in the accidents of these vehicles every year, many of them have been crippled for the rest of their lives just because of the traffic in the opposite direction on this highway. But the bus drivers did not agree to talk about coming in the opposite direction.
A bus driver on condition of anonymity said, "We are no longer the owner, the owner asked us to stand in this restaurant, so we stand."
OC of Hatikumrul Highway Police Station. Mahabur Rahman said, "Some cars are parked in these hotels. We have seen them. The school authorities have not complained to us. The main lane is clear, some cars come in the service lane. They use the wrong side. We have spoken to the owners,
