At least 281 people were killed and 837 others injured in 292 road accidents across the country during the 13 days before and after Eid-ul-Azha, said the Road Safety Foundation ( RSF) on Thursday.
Of the total deceased, 34 were women and 48 children, the RSF said in a press release on Thursday.
It said the data was compiled from reports published in nine national dailies, 17 online news portals, electronic media reports, and the organisation's own independent sources.
According to the RSF analysis, on an average 22 persons were killed per day on the country's roads during the recently observed Eid-ul- Ajha holidays.
It said that among the victims 37 were pedestrians.
The RSF said motorcycle crashes accounted for the highest number of deaths.
At least 124 riders and pillion passengers were killed in 141 motorcycle crashes, representing 44.12 percent of all fatalities, the press release said.
The fatalities also included 48 people travelling in three-wheelers, 32 in trucks, covered vans, pickups and trolleys, 21 in buses, 11 in private cars and ambulances, and eight in locally made motorised vehicles, it said, adding that 33 drivers and transport workers were among them.
Some 13 waterway accidents left eight people dead and 15 injured, while 24 sacrificial cattle also died in the incidents.
In addition, 22 railway accidents claimed 17 lives and injured nine others, the press release continued.
The press release also highlighted several major incidents, including a crash in Kalihati, Tangail, in which 15 low-income workers were killed after a road-laden truck overturned.
It further said 13 major accidents occurred when moving vehicles crashed into disabled vehicles left on expressways and highways without adequate warning signs.
According to the RSF's analysis, 112 accidents occurred on regional roads while 97 on national highways, 42 on rural roads and 37 on city roads.
Loss of vehicle control was identified as the leading cause of accidents, accounting for 127 crashes while head-on collisions caused 73 accidents, 42 involved vehicles hitting others from behind and 38 involved pedestrians being run over, it said.
The foundation further said Dhaka division recorded the highest number of casualties, with 101 deaths in 95 crashes.
Sylhet division recorded the lowest, with seven deaths in nine crashes. Among the districts, Faridpur recorded the highest death toll, with 28 fatalities in 19 crashes.
It also said more than 10 million people left the capital to celebrate Eid with their families. Around 40 million people travelled between districts across the country, it mentioned.
Chairman of RSF Saidur Rahaman said traffic congestion and overall sufferings of commuters on highways and waterways were comparatively lower this year, except for bottlenecks on routes in the northern region.
He also alleged that passengers travelling during Eid holidays by all modes of transport were overcharged due to weak enforcement of regulatory measures.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
