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As many as 322 people have died and 835 have been injured in 315 road accidents during Eid-ul-Fitr journeys.
Another 20 people were killed and eight injured in 21 railway crashes. Four crashes on water routes left 10 people dead, one injured, and another missing.
A total of 352 people were killed and 835 injured in these accidents during the Eid holidays on the country's roads, railways and water routes, according to a report by the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB).
Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of the association, presented the report at a press briefing at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Wednesday. The report covered the 15 days from Mar 24 to Apr 7, around the Eid holidays.
In 2024, as many as 407 people were killed and 1,398 others injured in 399 road accidents during Eid-ul-Fitr trips. Compared with last year, the number of road accidents, deaths and injuries this year declined by 21.05 per cent, 20.88 per cent, and 40.41 per cent respectively.
According to the report, motorcycles topped the list of vehicles involved in the crashes.
A total of 151 people died and 155 suffered injuries in 135 motorcycle crashes during this Eid, which accounts for 42.85 per cent of total accidents, 46.89 per cent of total deaths and 18.76 per cent of total injuries, according to the report.
Mozammel said that motorcycles were involved in 32.27 per cent of these accidents, buses 16.56 per cent, battery-powered rickshaws 14.86 per cent, trucks and covered vans 14.43 per cent, cars and microbuses 8.06 per cent, three-wheelers (locally known as Nasiman and Kariman) 7.21 per cent, and CNG-run auto-rickshaws 6.58 per cent.
He said, “The organisation has been monitoring road accidents, additional transport fares and harassment of passengers during Eid trips for a long time as Eid-related accidents have increased alarmingly every year.
“However, this time due to the long holiday, the number of accidents and casualties has decreased a bit along with the Eid journeys being comfortable due to the opportunity to return home in phases.”
He continued, “The report finds that due to the better condition of the country's roads and highways, the activities of the government's regulatory agencies BRTA, Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, Highway Police and Bangladesh Army were passenger-friendly and visible.
“It is to be noted that the chaos over additional transport fare and harassment of passengers reached its peak as the passengers were unorganised and unaware. The poor had to travel on bus and train roofs, open trucks, and freight vehicles, which endangered their lives due to the additional fare.”
The crashes occurred due to unimpeded driving of motorbikes, battery-operated rickshaws and auto-rickshaws on the country's roads and highways, non-availability of road signs or markings on national-level highways, vehicles suddenly coming out of feeder roads due to lack of lights, absence of road dividers on the roads, visual obstructions due to trees on blind spots and construction work on the highways, the report said.
Also at fault were faulty vehicles, tendency to violate traffic rules, wrong-way traffic, carrying passengers on freight vehicles, incompetent drivers, overloading and reckless driving, and drivers who work too long without a break.
The recommendations to prevent accidents include stopping the import and registration of motorcycles and battery-operated rickshaws, providing lighting for free movement at night on national and regional highways, taking initiatives to create skilled drivers, introducing digital fitness certificates for vehicles, arranging service lanes on vital national highways, stopping extortion on roads, ensuring drivers' salaries and working hours, and developing footpaths for commuters on highways.
The PWAB also suggests installing road signs and markings, properly implementing road transport laws digitally, building a modern bus network, increasing the capacity of the regulatory body BRTA, ensuring quality road construction and repair, conducting regular road safety audits, taking initiatives to scrap outdated public transport and unfit vehicles, and extending Eid holidays.