The numbers of deaths and injured people in road crashes in the country increased significantly during the Eid-ul-Azha holidays, said a report of the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh on Wednesday.
The report showed that at least 458 people were killed and 1,840 were injured in 309 road crashes in 15 days between June 10 and June 24 during the Eid-ul-Azha holidays.
Among the injured people, 1,078 people with road crash injuries admitted to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation in 14 days before and after the Eid.
Comparing with the journeys during Eid-ul-Azha in 2023, the numbers of road crashes in the country increased by 11.55 per cent, deaths by 53.17 per cent and injured people by 238.23 per cent this year.
The PWAB, a non-government organisation, observed that 7 to 9 per cent Eid-time trips were made by motorcycles this year. The highest numbers of road crashes, and deaths, however, involved with relating to motorcycles.
During this Eid festival, in 132 road crashes, involving motorcycles, 130 people were killed and 599 others injured, which were 42.71 per cent of total road crashes, 28.38 per cent of deaths and 32.55 per cent of the injured people.
In the NITOR, 478 people were admitted after being injured in motorcycle-related crashes.
During the 15 days, 20 people were killed and four others injured in 22 railways accidents and 10 people were killed, six others injured and six more remained missing in six waterways accidents, the report said.
The report, prepared on the basis of news that published in different media, was revealed at a press conference at Bangladesh Photojournalist Association auditorium in the capital, said a press release.
Among the fatal victims, 62 were transport workers, including drivers, 48 were pedestrians, 24 were children and 14 were students.
The highest percentage, 51.13 per cent, of crashes took place by crushing or hitting pedestrians or other vehicles and the highest percentage, 40.12 per cent, of road crashes took place on the national highways.
Out of total crashes, 4.85 per cent took place in Dhaka metropolitan city and 0.32 per cent in Chattogram metropolitan city.
The PWAB secretary general Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury said that the accurate statistics of road crashes were not available on the media.
The number of road crashes was not reducing even after enactment of the Road Transport Act, 2018, he said, urging the government to implement the law efficiently.聽
The Road Safety Foundation, another non-government organisation, published a report on June 24, indicating that 262 people were killed and 543 others injured in 251 road crashes between June 11 and June 23 during this Eid holidays.
A Bangladesh Road Transport Authority report revealed on Tuesday, however, showed that 230 people were killed and 301 others injured in 235 road crashes from June 11 to June 23.
The BRTA chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder emphasised that the discrepancy of 32 deaths in the organisation鈥檚 report was 鈥榥ot acceptable鈥�, saying that the foundation did not inform them anything about the mismatch in the statistics and published the report.