A total of 402 people were killed and 1,294 injured in road accidents during Eid-ul-Azha travel across Bangladesh this year, according to the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB), highlighting a troubling rise in holiday road fatalities on Sunday.
Presenting its findings at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity, PWAB said there were 394 road crashes involving road, rail, and waterways combined during the Eid travel period. In total, across all modes of transport, 438 people died and 1,340 were injured in 442 accidents.
The association’s Accident Monitoring Cell, led by Secretary General Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, reported that road accidents alone accounted for the overwhelming majority of casualties.
Compared to last year’s Eid-ul-Azha, road crashes increased by 3.95 per cent, fatalities rose by 3.07pc, and injuries climbed by 9.47pc. Last year, 379 road accidents killed 390 people and injured 1,182.
Rail transport recorded 31 accidents, killing 23 people and injuring 30, while waterways saw 17 incidents that left 13 dead and 16 injured.
Motorcycles emerged as the most dangerous mode of transport during the holiday, with 153 crashes killing 159 people and injuring 180 others"nearly 39pc of all road accidents reported during the period.
PWAB data also showed that among the victims were drivers, transport workers, pedestrians, women, children, students, and professionals from various sectors, including law enforcement personnel, teachers, doctors, journalists, and engineers.
The report identified multiple causes behind the surge in accidents, including poor road conditions, potholes, rain damage, reckless driving, traffic law violations, and a shortage of trained drivers. It also highlighted that many drivers were forced to work long hours without adequate rest, increasing the risk of fatigue-related crashes.
