Opposition MP Questions Transport Minister Over Road Deaths

A heated exchange unfolded in Bangladesh’s National Parliament on Monday as a Member of Parliament from Dhaka-12 and a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, Saiful Alam, launched a sharp critique of the Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam’s remarks describing this year’s post-Eid travel period as “smooth and comfortable”.

Raising the issue during an unscheduled discussion in the parliamentary session, the MP questioned the government’s handling of road safety and accountability for recurring fatalities during Eid travel. In a strongly worded intervention, he asked: “How many more people must die before the transport minister feels uncomfortable?”

His remarks directly challenged the minister’s earlier statement issued on Sunday, in which the Eid return journey was described as relatively smooth and well-managed. According to Saiful Alam, such a characterisation does not reflect the reality on the ground, particularly in light of the reported fatalities and accidents across the country during the holiday travel period.

He cited conflicting figures regarding road deaths during the Eid journeys. According to data from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), 170 people were killed, while the National Passenger Welfare Association reported a significantly higher toll of 370 deaths. The MP argued that regardless of the variation in statistics, the scale of loss of life could not reasonably be described as “comfortable”.

He also referred to a particularly serious incident in Daulatdia, where a bus reportedly sank into floodwaters, describing it as an alarming example of transport safety failures during the festive rush.

Compensation criticised as inadequate

The opposition lawmaker further expressed dissatisfaction with the compensation provided to victims’ families. He stated that families of those killed in the Daulatdia incident received only BDT 25,000, while injured passengers were given BDT 15,000, describing the amounts as grossly insufficient in relation to the severity of the tragedy.

Drawing a comparison with parliamentary standards in the United Kingdom, he argued that in more accountable democracies, a transport minister would typically consider resignation in the wake of such incidents. He questioned whether the minister in Bangladesh would reflect on stepping down in light of repeated fatalities.

Calls for procedural fairness in Parliament

In the same parliamentary sitting, another Jamaat-e-Islami MP, Shahjahan Chowdhury, raised concerns during a point of order regarding the functioning of parliamentary proceedings. He alleged inconsistencies in ministerial responses, suggesting that statements made by the Law Minister and the Home Minister sometimes appeared contradictory.

He urged the Speaker to ensure that ministers are given appropriate and relevant opportunities to respond to issues directly within their respective areas of responsibility, in order to maintain procedural clarity and accountability in parliamentary debates.

Political rebuttal from opposition benches

However, his remarks were strongly opposed by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) MP Zainul Abdin Farroque, who rejected the suggestion of any internal division within the cabinet. He argued that attempts were being made to create a false perception of disagreement between senior ministers, insisting that members of the current government are competent and united in their policy positions.

Wider concerns over transport safety

At the start of the session, MPs also raised a series of public interest concerns during the question-and-answer segment, with particular attention given to road accidents during the post-Eid travel rush and ongoing irregularities within the railway sector.

The session, chaired by the Speaker, reflected growing parliamentary scrutiny over transport safety management, infrastructure preparedness, and government accountability during peak travel periods in Bangladesh.

Reported Eid travel fatalities (as cited in Parliament)

The debate underscored persistent political tensions over road safety governance, with opposition MPs demanding stronger accountability measures amid repeated seasonal travel tragedies across the country.