Locals block Sylhet-Tamabil highway protesting rising road accidents

Traffic on Sylhet-Tamabil-Jaflong highway remained suspended since today (19 March) morning as local people put up barricade at Jaintia Gate protesting frequent road accidents on the highway.

Local people under the banner of residents of Chiknagul Union, took to the road around 11 am and blocked the highway.

The protesters demanded punishment of those involved in different road accidents in the past six months after arrest, driving of vehicles by unlicensed drivers and under-age drivers, conducting mobile court drives on the highway twice a month, stopping transportation of cattle, buffalo and smuggled goods by pick-up vans, taking steps to stop movement of unauthorised CNG-run auto-rickshaw and movement of human haulers on highways.

Jaintapur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sajedul Islam, sssistant superintendent of Gowainghat-Companiganj circle Shahidur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Jaintapur Model Policed Station Tajul Islam, Traffic Inspector of District Police Rafique Ahmed and Chiknagul union unit Awami League President Abul Hasan Chowdhury rushed to the spot and tried to settle the issue.

Earlier on Monday (18 March), six people including three members of a family were killed and five others injured in a head-on collision between a pick-up van and human hauler on Sylhet-Tamabil highway at Darbast.