Bus driver who lost his daughter to road crash calls for traffic discipline

Bus driver Jahangir Alam, father of Diya Khanam Mim who was killed in a bus accident in Dhaka on Jul 29, urged the government to make traffic more disciplined and demanded punishment to the driver responsible for his daughter’s death.

“We can’t bring her back but can only place a demand to the government—bring us under the rules,” said Jahangir, who drives long-haul buses from Gabtoli to the country’s north.

Although he runs his family by working as a bus driver, he says he feels like leaving the job as it was a bus that killed his child.

Jahangir’s daughter Diya and Abdul Karim, both students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College, died on the spot when a Jabale Nur bus ran over students waiting for transport on the Airport Road on July 29.

Two bus drivers barrelled down from a flyover onto the road and ploughed into the waiting students, according to witnesses.

The driver who crushed the two students to death was unskilled. “If they had been skilled drivers they would have slowed down in front of an educational institution,” Jahangir said.

Deaths in reckless driving are common in Bangladesh. A college student lost his arm after two buses crashed into each other in a mad race in April. Underage and untrained drivers are often seen driving public transports.

“I don’t want any other parents to lose their child to road accidents,” said Jahangir.

“I’m urging the government to allow only real drivers to drive vehicles. Those who can’t drive shouldn’t get a licence and the government should monitor it.”

The Prime Minister’s Office has ordered a crackdown on rogue drivers amid protests over the death of the two students. Both bus drivers and their helpers have been arrested and a Dhaka court sent them to jail.

“The home minister and the local MP have visited us and assured us of justice,” said Jahangir, who lives in a two-room house at Mohakhali with his family.

“I want justice for my daughter’s death,” Diya’s mother Roksana Begum told bdnews24.com.

“I always told her to cross the road carefully. She told me not to worry as she used to cross the road with other children,” said an emotional Roksana.

Elder sister Rokaiya Khanam Riya and younger brother Arafat are in deep shock too.

“Diya was different from others. She was not only good at studies but also very pretty,” said Diya’s sister Riya, a student in T&T University College.

Arafat, a fifth grader in IPH School, looks back to his fond memories with his sister. “Whenever we had arguments, I used to poke fun at her by commenting on her Facebook posts. She blocked me for that.”

It is now hard for him to look at the photograph of his sister hanging from the wall. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he spoke to bdnews24.com.

After the deaths of Diya and Abdul Karim, students from Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College took to the streets vandalising vehicles and blocking traffic after two of their fellows died in the accident. Students from other institutions later joined the protests.

The protests intensified on Tuesday when agitated students vandalised vehicles and blocked roads in parts of Dhaka, which led to police action.

“My sister’s friends are protesting her death. Why are the police preventing them from doing it? Wouldn’t they protest if their sister died?” said Arafat as he was watching the news on TV.

“Students are protesting as they are very much hurt to lose one of them. I have nurtured my child but she used to spend a lot of time with her friends. That’s why students took to the streets,” said Jahangir.

He urged the students to stage their protests peacefully and not opt for violence or vandalism.

Jahangir urged the government to provide a job for his eldest daughter. “I would like to request the prime minister to give a government job to my eldest daughter.”