168 killed in road crashes during Eid holidays
As many as 168 people were killed and 283 others were injured in 149 road accidents across the country during Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, said Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers’ welfare platform, on Friday.
On the other hand, seven accidents on river and rail routes killed 17 others during this Eid journey despite countrywide transport ban, said Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, general secretary of the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, at the National Press Club.
Mozammel said the road accident monitoring cell of the organisation prepared the report. They have been observing the accidents during Eid journey for years and as the incidents have increased alarmingly in the country.
Even though the transport movement was allowed on a limited scale during Eid this year, the rate of accidents was higher than previous years comparatively, he added.
Altogether 149 road accidents occurred between 19 and 31 May, while a rail accident and six accidents in river routes took place during this time, he informed.
Road accident monitoring cell of the organisation recorded most accidents on 25 May, as 21 people were killed, 48 injured in 20 road accidents.
Least accidents took place on 24 May as six accidents killed six people on this day.
Meanwhile, 21 people were killed, 54 injured in 17 road accidents on 19 May, Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said.
Of them, 45 are drivers, 33 women, 28 pedestrians, 27 transport workers, 24 children, 19 students, five political activists, three teachers, three members of law enforcers, three journalists and one engineer was affected by road accidents during this time.
Three policemen, 18 women, 12 children, 14 students, three teachers, 32 drivers, seven transport workers, one engineer and three political activists were killed among them.
A single accident in Palashbari in Gaibandha took lives of 13 people, said Mozammel.
Mozammel Haque also said that the monitoring cell of the passengers’ welfare platform, prepared the report based on national daily newspapers, regional newspapers and online newspapers.
In an analysis, the organisation found that motorcycles caused 35.74 per cent of the total accidents, 28.98 per cent trucks, pickup vans, covered vans and lorries, while 12.07 per cent are related to car, micro and jeeps.
As high as 7.72 per cent accidents were caused by battery-run rickshaw, easy bikes, van, bicycle, while 6.28 per cent caused by locally made vehicles.
“Movement of 90 per cent passengers was stopped due to general holidays and lockdown,” said Mozammel Haque Chowdhury adding that the rate of accidents was more than previous years.
He also urged to provide training for drivers of private cars.
According to the passengers’ welfare platform, altogether 8,543 people were killed and 14,318 others injured in 6,210 road, railway and waterway accidents across the country in 2019.