STAFF CORRESPONDENT

At least 351 people were killed and 1,046 injured in 346 road accidents across the country during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays between March 14 and 28, said Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.

Md Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, secretary general of the association, revealed these figures at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday.

“If we compare the casualties to the recent war in Iran over the past 15 days, Bangladesh’s toll from road crashes is several times higher,” he said.

The organisation’s report, compiled through media monitoring, found motorcycles were involved in the most accidents. At least 135 people died and 114 were injured in 125 motorcycle crashes, accounting for nearly 39 percent of all road fatalities.

Outside road accidents, 23 railway accidents killed 35 and eight waterway accidents left eight dead and three missing. Overall, 394 people died and 1,288 were injured in 377 accidents across roads, rail, and waterways.

During the period, 2,178 people were admitted to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor).

Among vehicles involved in road accidents, motorcycles accounted for 27 percent, trucks and vans 18 percent, and buses 16 percent. Most accidents were head-on collisions (36 percent) or involved pedestrians (32 percent), with 43 percent occurring on national highways.

Mozammel criticised the government’s Eid planning, saying passenger representatives were excluded from meetings due to pressure from transport owners and workers’ federations.

“The fare anarchy and road chaos were caused by these syndicates, a contrast to the situation with the interim government period when such groups had less influence,” he added.