United News of Bangladesh

At least 390 people were killed and 1,182 injured in 379 road accidents across the country during the 15-day Eid-ul-Azha travel period, with motorcycles being involved in the highest number of crashes. Secretary General of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (JKS) Mozammel Haque Chowdhury read out the figures at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity on Monday. Citing data collected by the association’s Road Accident Monitoring Cell, he said the accidents occurred between May 31 and June 14, covering the rush before and after the festival. In addition to road accidents, 25 train-related incidents left 25 people dead and 12 injured while 11 waterway accidents caused 12 deaths and six missing persons. Compared to last year’s Eid-ul-Azha period, road accidents rose by 22.65%, fatalities by 16.7% and injuries by 55.11%. Motorcycles once again topped the list of road accidents. This year, 134 motorcycle-related accidents caused 147 deaths and left 148 injured, accounting for 35.35% of all road crashes during the Eid travel period. The report found that 37.20% of all road accidents occurred on national highways, 28.23% on regional highways and 28.49% on feeder roads. In urban areas, 4.48% of accidents occurred in Dhaka, 0.79% in Chattogram, and another 0.79% at railway crossings. May sees 614 road fatalities in Bangladesh: Jatri Kalyan Samity To reduce accidents and travel-related suffering during Eid, Mozammel Haque called for a minimum of four days of government holiday before the festival. “We need long-term planning for managing Eid journeys. Enhancing the capacity of public transport and management systems, removing small vehicles from highways, ensuring skilled drivers, fit vehicles, quality roads, and rule of law are all essential,” he said. The association’s observations also noted that potholes caused by rain on highways contributed to many accidents, particularly where vehicles were speeding. A significant number of crashes occurred post-Eid as drivers operated continuously without rest, often resulting in vehicles plunging into ditches or colliding with parked trucks. The report also highlighted widespread public suffering due to excessive fare collection and passenger harassment. Many poor people were forced to travel on the roofs of buses and trains or in open trucks due to fare chaos in public transport.   JKS proposed 12 recommendations to curb accidents, including controlling the import and registration of motorcycles and battery-powered vehicles, installing road signs and lighting on highways, producing skilled drivers, implementing a digital fitness system, scrapping unfit vehicles, and ensuring a minimum four-day Eid holiday. Transport syndicate set to extort Tk 832cr from Eid travellers: Jatri Kalyan Samity The organisation also urged the government to remove VAT and income tax on driving trainees. Buet Professor Armana Sabiha Haque, JKS’s Association Treasurer Mahmudul Hasan Russell, publicity secretary Mohammad Alauddin Masud  were, among others, present at the briefing.

Bangladesh saw 60,980 road accidents, leading to 105,338 deaths and 149,847 injuries, between 2014 and September 2024, said the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity on Monday. The Association came up with the shocking statistics during a discussion meeting held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, marking the National Road Safety Day 2024. Association's Secretary-General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, attributed the rampant road accidents and chaos in the transport sector to the mismanagement of the Ministry of Road Transport over the past 11 years. He said the road transport sector in Bangladesh witnessed severe corruption, chaos, extortion and mismanagement during the past decade under the Awami League's rule. Mozammel Haque specifically pointed out that during Obaidul Quader’s tenure as the minister, lawlessness, irregularities, corruption and extortion in the transport sector increased manifold. Even after the change of government following the student and public protests, the Ministry of Road Transport and policymakers at the BRTA have continued the fascist practices that plagued the previous regime. Read: Road accidents claim 498 lives in Sept: Jatri Kalyan Samity During the event, he said, "No effective measures have been taken to reduce passenger fares or establish order in the roads. To resolve the crisis in the transport sector, comprehensive reforms are needed, and for this, it is essential to form a reform commission for the transport sector." The grim statistics were further elaborated by Mozammel Haque, who said that over the past 11 years, 88,127 vehicles were involved in road accidents, including 20,549 trucks, pickups, and lorries, 20,124 motorcycles, and 15,301 buses. He said accidents occurred on national highways (31.76%), regional highways (37.59%), and feeder roads (22.54%). Haque also mentioned that the association has faced pressure from the Awami League government when publishing their road accident reports. Read more: 35,384 killed in road, railway, waterway accidents since 2019 He alleged that they were subjected to lawsuits, attacks, and harassment for exposing the grim reality of road accidents under the current regime.

As many as 576 people were killed and 1055 injured in 505 road accidents across the country in July, said a report of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.Forty-eight people died in 47 railway accidents while 21 died and 15 injured in 16 waterway accidents, it said.The report was published on Saturday after analysing accident reports published in the country's national and regional dailies and online news portals during the period.Total 644 people were killed and 1075 others injured in 644 accidents on roads, waterways and railways across the country.One ninety five people died and 122 others were injured in some 180 motorbike accidents across the country last month which is 35.64% of the total accidents and 31.61% of the total fatalities.Among those killed in road accidents in July, 119 people were drivers, 77 pedestrians, 17 transport workers, 29 students, seven teachers, three members of law enforcement agencies, one army personnel, one navy personnel, one Border Guard Bangladesh member, one fire service man, 82 women, 42 children and seven activists of different political parties.Highest 173 people were killed and 271 injured in 157 road accidents in Dhaka division while lowest 38 people were killed and 138 others injured in 23 road crashes in Barishal division.Among those vehicles involved in the accidents were 18.74 percent buses, 22.84 percent pick-up vans, covered vans and lorries, 6.83 percent private cars, jeeps and microbuses, 5.74 percent CNG-run auto-rickshaws, 25.99 percent motorbikes, 15.32 percent battery-run human haulers and 4.51 percent three-wheeler vehicles.Of the accidents, 38.61 percent occurred on national highways, 30.69 on regional highways and 24.15 percent on roads.17 deaths in Jhalakathi accident: Bus driver had a license for light vehicles, RAB says

A father-daughter duo was crushed to death when a truck laden with cement ploughed into their house in Sathia upazila on Friday night, police said Saturday.

Road accidents in Bangladesh is still one of the leading causes of deaths as 37,170 people were killed in 26,902 accidents across the country in the last five years.

Accidents on roads, railways and waterways killed at least 553 people and injured 669 others last month, passengers’ welfare body Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity said Wednesday.

The number of road accidents in the country rose by 56 percent and fatalities by 57 percent in June compared to May, according to Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers’ welfare organisation.   During this time, 368 people were killed and 518 others injured in 358 road, railway and waterway accidents. Fifteen people were killed in 20 accidents on the railways and 45 died in 17 accidents on the waterways, the Samity said in a report on Sunday.

Four transport workers were killed and another was injured in a road accident at Anantapur point on the Taraganj-Burirhat road in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur on Wednesday.

Altogether 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.

At least 534 people were killed and 1,169 others injured in 504 road crashes in February last, said Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers’ welfare platform.