The interim government鈥檚 adviser to the road transport and bridges ministry, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, on Saturday took the responsibility for recent increase in the numbers of road crashes and casualties.
At a press briefing, he told the reporters that the Road Safety Foundation, a non-government organisation, recently gave them data that 7,294 people were killed and over 12,000 injured in road crashes in 2024, which was 12 per cent higher than 2023.
鈥榃e took the oath as an interim government and we could not reduce the number of road crashes while losses of lives did not reduce but increased,鈥� he said, adding, 鈥榳e are taking responsibility for this.鈥�
鈥業f there is no improvement in the performance of the BRTA, we will announce BRTA as defunct,鈥� he added.
Fouzul said these after attending two consecutive meetings 鈥� one with the BRTA officials and employees and another with stakeholders on road safety - held at the BRTA Bhaban in the capital.
The adviser, at the briefing, said that they had also taken decision to give compensation as per law to the road crash victims as soon as possible.聽聽
鈥業f any vehicle lacks fitness certificate and any driver does not have a licence then the concerned BRTA officer will be held responsible directly,鈥� he said, adding, 鈥楲egal action will be taken against them.鈥�
He said that if any road faults caused any accident then the relevant Roads and Highways Department officials would be held responsible.
Earlier the adviser at a programme held on December 19 warned BRTA that the government would take action against the authority officials from top to bottom if it does not improve its services within the next one month.
鈥榃e will keep BRTA under our constant monitoring,鈥� he said, asking the authorities to relocate its headquarters officials at the field level.
