168 Killed in Road Crashes over Eid

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.

On the other hand, seven other accidents on river and rail routes killed 17 others during this Eid journey amid countrywide transport ban, said Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, general secretary, Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, at the Jatiya Press Club.

Road accidents monitoring cell of the organization prepared the report, Mozammel said. They have been observing the accidents during the 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 May 19 May 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 organization recorded most accidents on May 25, as 21 people were killed, 48 injured in 20 road accidents.

Least accidents took place on May 24 as six accidents killed six people on this day.

Meanwhile, 21 people were killed, 54 injured in 17 road accidents on May 19, Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said.

A total of 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.

Among them, three policemen, 18 women, 12 children, 14 students, three teachers, 32 drivers, seven transport workers, one engineer and three political activists were killed.

The single accident in Palashbari in Gaibandha took the lives of 13 people, said Mozammel.

Mozammel Haque Chowdhury 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 organization found that motorcycles caused 35.74 percent of the total accidents, 28.98 percent trucks, pickup vans, covered vans and lorries, while 12.07 percent are related to car, micro and jeeps.

Meanwhile, 7.72 percent of accidents were caused by battery-run rickshaw, easy bikes, van, bicycle, 6.28 percent crashes by nasimon, kariman, leguna and mahindra.

''Movement of 90 percent 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 roads, railway and waterway accidents across the country in 2019.

Source: UNB