9,237 killed in road, rail, waterway accidents in 2024

As many as 9,237 people were killed in road, railway and waterway accidents across the country last year, according to a report prepared by a rights body.
It also said a good number of 6,359 road accidents took place during the period, leaving 8,543 people dead and 12,608 others injured.
After preparing the report, the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB) revealed the figures at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the capital on Saturday.
PWAB secretary general Md Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury presented the findings, while Professor Robayet Ferdous of Dhaka University, social development activist Abdullah Al-Zahir Swapan and PWAB vice-president Towhidul Haque, among others, were present on the occasion.

According to the report, in addition to the road accidents, 512 people were killed and 315 injured in 497 railway accidents.
Moreover, 118 waterway accidents occurred during the period, leaving 182 people dead and 267 injured.
The statistics has been prepared on the basis of the reports published by different media outlets throughout the year.
Of the road accidents, motorcycle crashes were the highest or 36.62 per cent. As many as 2,329 motorcycle accidents took place, killing 2,570 people and injuring 3,151 others.
The number of motorcycles has increased from 1.5 million to 6.0 million in the past 10 years, the report says, adding that 6.0 million new battery-powered rickshaws have hit the streets.
Of the road mishap victims, 168 law-enforcing agency members, 1952 drivers, 1,879 pedestrians, 622 transport workers, 755 students, 126 teachers, 1,206 women, 658 children, 48 journalists and 17 doctors were identified.
However, the platform identified 22 reasons for road accidents including reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, road construction defects, unfit vehicles, and carelessness of drivers, passengers and pedestrians, and violence of traffic laws.
The rights body also made a set of recommendations, including prompt enacting a road safety law, increasing the budgetary allocation, provide latest training and moral education for public transport drivers.
It also called for establishing good governance in the road transport sector to stop irregularities, corruption and embezzlement.
Meanwhile, the Road Safety Foundation, another rights body, revealed monthly figures on Saturday.
According to its tally, 504 road accidents took place in the country last month, killing 539 people and injuring 764 others.
Motorcycle accidents were responsible for 38.21 percent of the total deaths as 206 people died in 211 such accidents.
Dhaka witnessed the highest number of 158 road accidents which killed 177 people.
Twenty people were killed and 27 injured in 42 road accidents in the capital last month.
[email protected]