Jatri Kalyan blames policy failures for 351 road deaths during Eid travel
Overall, at least 394 people were killed and 1,288 injured across road, rail, and water transport in Bangladesh during this year’s Eid travel, it said.
Highlights
- 394 dead across all transport modes
- Road deaths up 8.26% from last year
- Motorcycles caused 36% fatalities
- Syndicate-driven chaos alleged in transport sector
- Unfit vehicles, unskilled drivers blamed
- Minister disputes 300+ death claims
- BRTA reports 170 deaths only
Bangladesh's roads turned into deathtraps during the Eid-ul-Fitr rush, with at least 351 lives lost and 1,046 injured in a span of just 15 days, according to a report released by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity today (30 March).
The report, covering the period from 14 to 28 March, highlighted a staggering spike in fatalities that the organisation's Secretary General, Md Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, described as more lethal than active conflict zones, reports UNB.
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Overall, at least 394 people were killed and 1,288 injured across road, rail, and water transport in Bangladesh during this year's Eid travel, it said.
Data compiled by the organisation's Road Accident Monitoring Cell shows that during the period, 23 rail accidents left 35 people dead and 223 injured, while eight waterway accidents caused eight deaths, 19 injuries and left three people missing.
The figures indicate a worsening trend compared to last year's Eid-ul-Fitr, when 315 accidents resulted in 322 deaths and 826 injuries. This year, road accidents rose by 8.95%, fatalities by 8.26%, and injuries by nearly 21.05%.
At a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity by Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of the organisation, alleged today that the influence of longstanding "mafia" leaders within bus owners' associations and labour federations continues to dominate the transport sector.
He also criticised the exclusion of passenger representatives from Eid management meetings, claiming that decisions tend to favour transport owners, undermining effective reforms.
The report cited several key causes of accidents, including unrestricted movement of motorcycles and battery-operated rickshaws on highways; lack of road signs, markings, and lighting; unskilled drivers and unfit vehicles; as well as extortion on roads and excessive driver
It reported that motorcycles remained the leading cause of accidents, with 125 incidents resulting in 135 deaths, accounting for 36% of total fatalities.
A major tragedy during the return journey saw a bus plunge into the Padma River at Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari on 25 March, killing at least 26 people, including five children and 11 women.
To curb road accidents, the platform recommended increasing the use of technology and smart fare collection methods; ensuring adequate highway lighting; and providing advanced driver training, etc.
Over 300 deaths during Eid were not accurate: Minister
However, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam yesterday expressed disagreement with road accident statistics published by road safety organisations.
The minister stated that over 300 deaths is "not accurate". "According to my data, the number of deaths this time in road and waterway accidents is 170. Among them, 47 were on highways, 28 on waterways, and likely 17 on railways," he said.
He said that, excepting a few isolated incidents, most home-goers were able to travel safely to their homes during Eid-ul-Fitr, while announcing a series of new measures aimed at improving road safety ahead of Eid-ul-Adha.
These include stricter highway enforcement, a ban on roadside shops, and measures to prevent cattle markets from being set up along major roads.
In addition, passengers will be required to disembark fully before buses are loaded onto ferries, with barriers to be installed to enforce the rule.
According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), 170 people died during this year's Eid travel period from 16 to 26 March.
