Road Accidents
Withdrawal of Ashraf's remark demanded
Columnist Syed Abul Maksud stages a sit-in in front of Jatiya Press Club in the city yesterday demanding withdrawal of a recent comment by LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, “An accident is an accident, there is nothing to protest.”Photo: STAR
Eminent columnist Syed Abul Maksud yesterday staged a sit-in programme in protest of a recent comment by LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on road accidents in the country. He also demanded immediate withdrawal of the remark by the minister. Abul Maksud began the sit-in programme in front of National Press Club at around 11:00am that continued till 11:45am. Earlier on Thursday, Syed Ashraf termed the recent road accidents as "mere accidents" while replying to a question from Fazlul Azim, the lone independent lawmaker, in the parliament. "An accident is an accident. There is nothing to protest." In the speech, Syed Ashraf, also general secretary of the ruling Awami League, criticised the country's media for describing the deaths in the accidents as 'killings'. "The media spoke so many things that were not correct." Talking to journalists, Maksud termed the minister's remark as cruel perception. "The remark is a disgrace to the souls around 17,000 to 18,000 people who lost their lives in different road accidents in last three years in the country," the columnist said. "All road accidents are not mere accidents. Truth had gone far away from the politics in the country quite earlier." "Now I see no sign of mercy, pity and sympathy." He also threatened of launching tougher movement against the government if proper steps are not taken to stop road accidents soon. Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) central committee member Ruhin Hossain Prince and others expressed solidarity with Syed Abul Maksud. Earlier, film actor and Nirapad Sarak Chai Chairman Ilias Kanchan and TV actress and ruling party lawmaker Tarana Halim also strongly protested the comment saying the statement made a mockery of the deceased, injured and victims of road accidents.
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