402 killed, 1,294 injured in 394 Eid-time road accidents: BJKS

At least 402 people were killed and 1,294 others injured in 394 road accidents across the country during Eid-ul-Azha trips this year, according to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (BJKS).
Secretary General of BJKS Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury revealed the figures at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital on Sunday.
He said that these casualties happened over 15 days from 21 May to 4 June, when commuters returned to their workplaces after enjoying holiday of the festival.
A comparative analysis of the previous 2025 Eid-ul-Azha showed that road accidents increased by 3.95 per cent, fatalities rose by 3.07 per cent and the number of injured surged by 9.47 per cent.
The country's railway sector witnessed 31 accidents that had claimed 23 lives and left 30 persons injured.
The waterways witnessed 17 accidents that resulted in 13 fatalities and 16 injuries.
Mr Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury said that the data that they (BJKS) have compiled revealed that 438 people were killed and 1,340 suffered injuries in 442 accidents across roads, railways, and waterways combined.
The BJKS said that motorcycles once again topped the list of accidents, with 159 people losing their lives in 153 motorcycle crashes, accounting for 38.83 per cent of the total road accidents during the festival.
He alleged that the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges is being run according to the "prescriptions of bus owners".
He said the power to control the collection of exorbitant fares has been handed over to members of the transport owners' associations, adding that transport owners turn into a "mafia" when they receive government patronage.
Speaking at the event, traffic congestion researcher Dr AYM Ekramul Hoque said nearly 10 million people (one crore people) usually leave Dhaka during the Eid holiday and emphasised that this tendency to rush out of the capital must be curbed.
The BJKS identified several factors behind the alarming rise in road crashes during the Eid rush that include rain-damaged roads filled with potholes, vehicular defects, and the reckless, law-breaking attitude of drivers.
It also blamed sleepless, non-stop driving caused by a shortage of drivers, alongside the operation of expired and faulty buses driven by the greed for extra profit.

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com