428 lives lost on roads in August in Bangladesh: RSF

As many as 428 people, including 57 students, were killed and 791 others injured in 451 road accidents across the country in August.

Among them, 132 people died in motorbike accidents alone, which is 30.84% of the total fatalities, the Road Safety Foundation said in its latest report released today (15 September).

Eighty-three pedestrians, 52 drivers and their assistants were among those killed in the road accidents.

Besides, 19 waterways accidents claimed at least 23 lives with 17 injuries.

Thirty-one people were killed and 11 others injured in 37 train accidents across Bangladesh last month.

The Road Safety Foundation prepared the report based on the reports of nine national dailies, seven online news portals and electronic media.

The report said that 214 accidents occurred in total on national highways, 135 on regional roads, 42 on rural roads, and 60 on city roads.

According to the report, 26.38% accidents occurred in the Dhaka division, 12.63% in Rajshahi, 21.28% in Chattogram, 9.97% in Khulna, 4% in Barishal, 9.09 % in Sylhet, 9.53%in Rangpur and 7.09% in Mymensingh division.

The highest number of accidents was recorded in Dhaka division, where 117 people were killed in 119 accidents. Sixteen people were killed in the Barishal division, the lowest compared to other divisions, said the report.

The RSF pointed out several major reasons behind the rise in road accidents.

The reasons include - faulty vehicles; reckless driving; desperate mentality, incompetence and illness of drivers; unsettled wages and working hours; prevalence of low-speed traffic on highways; reckless motorcycling by the youth; the tendency of flouting traffic rules, poor management of traffic; lack of efficiency of the BRTA; and extortion in the sector.

The RSF urged the authorities concerned to take necessary initiatives to address the issues.