A total of 622 people were killed and 1,652 others injured in 613 road accidents across the country in May, according to a report by Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger welfare platform.
The figures were disclosed in a statement signed by the organisation’s Secretary General Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury on Saturday.
The statement said the data was compiled from reports published in national and regional media outlets.
It added that a total of 676 accidents occurred on road, rail and waterways during the month, leaving 671 people dead and 1,696 injured.
Of these, 42 railway accidents killed 34 people and injured 29 others, while 21 waterway accidents left 15 dead, 15 injured and seven missing.
The report said 221 motorcycle-related accidents alone caused 231 deaths and 219 injuries, accounting for a significant share of overall road crashes.
Division-wise, Dhaka recorded the highest number of road accidents with 180 incidents, resulting in 185 deaths and 558 injuries.
Mymensingh recorded the lowest with 27 accidents, leaving 38 dead and 67 injured.
The organisation also identified 975 vehicles involved in the reported accidents, including motorcycles, trucks, buses, battery-run rickshaws, CNG auto-rickshaws and other vehicles.
In its analysis, the group cited head-on collisions, loss of control, speeding, wrong-way driving and unskilled drivers as major causes of accidents.
It also pointed to weak road infrastructure, potholes, lack of road signs and missing dividers as contributing factors.
The report further mentioned that victims included members of law enforcement agencies, drivers, pedestrians, women and children. It warned that the actual number of casualties could be higher as many incidents go unreported.
To reduce road accidents, the organisation called for banning illegal vehicles on highways, developing modern bus networks, improving driver training, introducing technology-based traffic management and upgrading road infrastructure.
