Rangpur, July 9 -- kilometre stretch of the Rangpur-Dhaka Highway, passing through the Mithapukur upazila, has turned into a deadly zone, claiming at least seven lives in the past month alone.

This crucial portion of the highway, featuring three major intersections, has long lacked basic traffic signals or safe pedestrian crossings, resulting in frequent accidents and casualties.

Despite being developed under the South Asian Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) project, this segment of the highway suffers from poor planning and oversight, officials concerned said, wishing anonymity.

The absence of proper infrastructure and road safety measures has led to a sharp rise in accidents.

The most hazardous points along the stretch are th...