BN Report
During this year’s Eid-ul-Fitr, road accidents increased by 31.25% compared to last year, according to statistics revealed by Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, the Secretary General of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, during a press briefing at Dhaka Reporters Unity.
The Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB) monitored these incidents, recording 407 deaths and 1,398 injuries from 399 road accidents between April 4 and April 18, which covered the start of the Eid holiday and the return to work after the festivities.
Additionally, the report included accidents on other transportation modes: 18 railway accidents resulted in 24 deaths and 21 injuries, while two waterway accidents caused seven deaths and five injuries.
In total, 438 people were killed and 1,424 were injured across 419 reported accidents involving road, rail, and sea transport.
In comparison, the previous year’s Eid-ul-Fitr saw 328 deaths and 565 injuries from 304 road accidents, indicating a significant rise in incidents and casualties this year.
The number of road fatalities rose by 24.08%, and the number of injuries increased by a substantial 147.43%.
The data highlighted ongoing problems such as excessive fare charges and harassment of passengers during the Eid travel period, which saw a 20% increase in the number of travelers due to a longer holiday. Notably, 7.5% of travelers used motorcycles, taking advantage of the unrestricted access to the Padma Bridge for motorcycles. Despite efforts from regulatory bodies and law enforcement, issues like overcharging and harassment escalated, with many people, particularly those from lower-income groups, taking dangerous risks by traveling on bus roofs, trains, open trucks, and cargo vehicles.
Motorcycle accidents were particularly prevalent, representing 49.62% of all road accidents, 40.54% of road fatalities, and 30.37% of injuries during the Eid period. This included 198 motorcycle accidents that led to 165 deaths and 240 injuries.
