Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has categorically contradicted the data of road accidents during the Eid vacation as reported by Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (BJKS).
The information is misleading as 296 people were killed and 405 injured in 254 road accidents across the country during April 4-18, BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder told journalists at the BRTA conference room on Sunday.
The BJKS at a press conference on the day before (Saturday) claimed 407 people would have died and 1,398 injured in 399 road accidents during the period.
It also stated that the road accidents increased by 31.25 per cent during this year's Eid vacation than that of the last year's while fatalities rose 24.08 per cent and injuries 147.43 per cent.
Mr Mazumder, however, admitted that the road accidents increased by 18.75 per cent and pointed out 10 reasons for the accidents including reckless driving, carelessness of drivers or overtaking and violating traffic rules.
Terming 'tragic and heartbreaking' the two accidents in Faridpur and Jhalakati districts during this Eid holidays, the BRTA chairman said that the fitness documents of both vehicles were expired and registrations have been suspended accordingly.
As the BRTA considers unfit a vehicle on the expiry of its registration, it also wrote to police, district administration and the BRTA's field staff to check plying of vehicles on the streets.
Keeping in mind that the road mishap are major concerns of public health worldwide, the BRTA had taken several measures ahead of Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr, said the Chairman.
smunima@yahoo.com