At least 404 people were killed and 709 others injured in 463 road accidents across the country in April, according to a report released by Road Safety Foundation (RSF).
The deceased included 53 women and 48 children.
Motorcycle accidents remain a major concern in Bangladesh, RSF said, citing data from nine national dailies, 17 online news portals and electronic media.
A total of 113 people died in 142 motorcycle incidents, accounting for 27.97 percent of total fatalities. The report further said that 102 pedestrians (25.24 percent) and 46 drivers and assistants (11.38 percent) were among those killed.
Beyond road incidents, the report highlighted seven accidents on waterways that left four dead and 11 injured, while 34 railway track accidents resulted in 26 deaths and 17 injuries.
Casualty statistics and road variations
The statistics for vehicle-based fatalities show that 113 deaths involved motorcycles, 30 were bus passengers, 51 were from trucks, covered vans, pickups, lorries, trolleys, or tractors, and 24 were from private cars or microbuses.
Additionally, 61 people died while travelling in three-wheelers (Easybikes, CNGs, auto-rickshaws, and auto-rickshaw vans), 10 in locally made vehicles (Votvoti, Tomtom, and Mahendra), and 13 in rickshaws or bicycles.
Regarding road types, 41.68 percent of accidents occurred on regional roads, 36.28 percent on national highways, 12.31 percent on urban roads, and 9.71 percenrt on rural roads.
Analysis of the nature of these accidents revealed that 41.90 percent were caused by drivers losing control of their vehicles, 22.89 percent involved hitting or crushing pedestrians, and 20.95 percent were head-on collisions.
Involved vehicles and timing
A total of 659 vehicles were involved in the accidents. These included 91 trucks, 84 buses, 153 motorcycles, 112 three-wheelers, 43 locally made vehicles, 23 pickups, 22 covered vans, 19 microbuses, 17 private cars, 14 trolleys, 13 rickshaws, and 12 tractors. One waste-carrying truck from a city corporation was also involved.
In terms of timing, the highest frequency of accidents occurred in the morning, which is 28.50 percent, followed by the afternoon — 20.08 percent, and at night — 19 percent.
Victims
Dhaka Division recorded the highest number of casualties, with 102 deaths in 109 accidents, while Sylhet Division saw the lowest with 12 deaths in 12 accidents. In the capital, Dhaka city, 24 people were killed and 67 injured in 36 accidents.
The deceased included professionals from various sectors: 49 students, 22 local businessmen, 19 political activists, 17 sales representatives, 14 NGO workers, 12 paddy harvesting workers, 11 bank and insurance officials, six teachers, five garment workers, three journalists, three Imams or Khateebs, and three construction workers.
Additionally, the fatalities included two BGB members, two engineers, two lawyers, one police officer, and one doctor.
Causes and recommendations
The RSF identified several primary causes for the high accident rate, including faulty vehicles, reckless speeding, unskilled drivers, and the lack of fixed pay and working hours for transport workers.
It also cited the presence of low-speed vehicles on highways, reckless motorcycling by youths, weak traffic management, and the capacity limitations of the BRTA.
The RSF provided a 12-point recommendation list that include reconstituting the National Road Safety Council to oversee the BRTA, BRTC, and DTCA; mandating modern safety technology in motor vehicles and withdrawing expired vehicles from the roads; implementing route rationalisation in Dhaka through company-based modern bus services; constructing service roads for low-speed vehicles on all highways; appointing gate-keepers at all railway crossings; and forming a unified Ministry of Communication to integrate road, rail, and water transport strategies.
It concluded that while infrastructure and awareness are key, the political will of the government is essential to creating a safe road environment.
