Like Tutul, family members of four other road crash victims shared similar experiences at the press conference, organised by Sarake Santan-Swajanhara Avhibhabak Forum, in association with Nirapad Sarak Andolan, at the city's Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh.
Family members of all the victims said they did not get justice for their loved ones killed. Neither did they get any compensation from the authorities concerned, they said.
Speaking at the programme, road safety campaigners said victims in road accident-related cases hardly get justice in the country. Legal procedures reach their end only in a handful of cases and that too after massive protests.
A culture of impunity for the culprits is the reason why road crashes are increasing, they said.
In January alone, at least 547 people were killed and 1,141 others injured in 531 road accidents across the country, according to a report of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a platform working for passengers' welfare.
The Samity, which came up with the numbers based on newspaper report, said at least 7,855 people were killed and 13,330 others injured in 5,516 road accidents last year. Around 900 of the victims who died were students.
The previous year, road accidents had claimed 7,221 lives and left 15,466 others injured, according to the platform.
Experts and road safety campaigners said faulty vehicles and roads, poor traffic management, callousness of pedestrians, lack of political will, and poor enforcement of traffic rules were the main reasons for the accidents.
Md. Saiful Islam
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