Road accidents surged by 31.25% during the Eid-ul-Fitr journey this year compared to the previous year.
Besides, 407 individuals lost their lives in 399 road accidents, while 1,398 others sustained injuries.
Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity Secretary General Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury disclosed these figures at a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital on Saturday.
The data was gathered from the road accident monitoring cell of the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB) spanning from the start of the Eid trip on April 4 until the return to workplaces after Eid on April 18.
Additionally, 24 fatalities and 21 injuries were reported in 18 railway accidents, while seven deaths and five injuries occurred in two waterway accidents. Hence, 438 fatalities and 1,424 injuries were recorded in 419 accidents on road, rail, and sea.
Comparatively, during Eid-ul-Fitr in 2023, 328 individuals lost their lives and 565 were injured in 304 road accidents. This year's Eid witnessed a notable increase in road accidents by 31.25%, fatalities by 24.08%, and injuries by 147.43% compared to the previous year.
The report highlights the long-standing issue of road accidents, extra fare collection, and passenger harassment during Eid journeys. This Eid saw a 20% increase in travellers due to an extended holiday period. Moreover, 7.5% of total passengers travelled on motorcycles, benefitting from the unrestricted movement of motorcycles on the Padma Bridge.
Despite the presence of regulatory agencies and law enforcement, the chaos of extra fare collection and passenger harassment reached alarming levels. Many individuals, especially from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, resorted to risking their lives by travelling on the roofs of buses, trains, open trucks, and cargo transports.
Motorcycles remain the leading cause of accidents, accounting for 49.62% of total road accidents, 40.54% of fatalities, and 30.37% of injuries. A staggering 165 fatalities and 240 injuries were recorded in 198 motorcycle accidents during this Eid period.
