224 killed in road accidents during Eid

Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger welfare forum, says at least 224 people have been killed in road accidents across the country between August 6 and August 17.

Another 866 people have also been injured in 203 accidents recorded across the country. 

Of the 203 road accidents, 67 involved motorbikes, accounting for 33% of road accidents recorded across the country.

Incidents of vehicles running over passers-by were recorded as 52.21%.

Most of the fatalities occurred when holidaymakers were travelling to their respective ancestral homes and returning to the capital prior to and after Eid-ul-Azha, said the platform at a press briefing at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Sunday.

The passenger welfare forum gave the statistics based on media reports published by 41 national and regional newspapers and 11 online news portals from August 6 to August 17.

In 41 accidents on railways and naval routes, 50 more people were killed in the same time period.

Reading out a written statement, Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of the platform, said: “The condition of roads, this time is pretty good compared to last Eid. Some new launches have been added, and some new engines and coaches have been added on railway routes. However, charging extra fares, black marketing of tickets, and passenger harassment have increased.”

“6.4% accidents, 6.25% death rate, and 1.5% injury rate decline can be seen compared to the period last Eid-ul-Azha.”  Mozammel added: “85.21% accidents can be avoided, if the authorities can control bike accidents and passers-by being run over by vehicles.” 

Analysis shows, 27.4% accidents happened with buses, 26.33% with motorcycles, 16.4% with trucks, pickups, covered-vans and lorries, 13.52% with auto-rickshaws, 7.82% with cars and micro-buses, 4.98% with battery run auto-rickshaws, and 3.55% with local shallow-machine run vehicles (Nochimon and Korimon). 

Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity also published 12-point recommendations including driver training, modernizing licences and issuing vehicular fitness certificates, building more underpasses and overpasses, and more. 

Road accidents recorded in the last four years during Eid-ul-Azha

*Source: Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity

Record of accidents on roads, railways, and naval routes during this Eid-ul-Azha 

*Source: Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity