Bangladesh’s roads witnessed a grim toll during this year’s Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, with 81 people killed and more than 50 injured due to speeding, reckless driving, and poor road management.
Accidents occurred almost every day during the outward journey, on Eid day, and the return trip, leaving many families devastated.
The tragedies began on 18 March in Sherpur, when a Dhaka–Rangpur bus lost control, hit a divider, and caught fire, killing three members of the same family. A one-and-a-half-year-old child survived, while nine others were injured.
On the same day, in Patiya area of Chattogram, a head-on collision between two buses killed one and injured eight. In Rajshahi, a truck struck a motorcycle, killing a father and son, prompting a furious crowd to set the truck ablaze.
Four others died and at least 11 were injured in separate accidents across four districts.
On 19 March, six people were killed in separate incidents in Kishoreganj. In Chapainawabganj, a collision between an auto-rickshaw and a motorcycle killed two.
In Bhaluka area of Mymensingh, a bus hit an auto-rickshaw and a CNG vehicle, killing two and injuring nearly thirty people. A CNG accident in Char Fasson, Bhola, killed one and injured five. Another bus collision in Patiya killed one and left 15 injured.
On 20 March, Friday, the day before Eid, saw heavy traffic but no major accidents. Most incidents involved minor collisions between motorcycles and auto-rickshaws, causing only a few injuries.
Eid day, 21 March, was no less tragic. At least 10 people were killed and over 25 injured in accidents across eight districts, including Mymensingh, Chattogram, Jhenaidah, Narail, Chuadanga, Faridpur, Gopalganj, and Madaripur.
In Natore, a head-on collision between two motorcycles killed one and injured two, showing how carelessness can overshadow festive celebrations.
Sunday, 22 March, proved the deadliest day. Within six hours, four major accidents killed 19 people. At Padua Bazar railway crossing in Comilla, a Dhaka-bound train struck a bus, killing 12 on the spot.
In Rampur Latumia, Feni, a bus, an ambulance, and a motorcycle collided, killing three and injuring five. In Madhabpur, Habiganj, a pickup fell into a ditch, killing four, while a pickup–motorcycle collision in Kuliarchar, Kishoreganj, killed three.
From 23 March, as the return journey began, minor accidents continued to claim lives. In Bagharpara, Jashore, a car hit a tree, killing three members of the same family and injuring three.
In Sitakunda, Chattogram, a motorcycle collided with a covered van, killing one. By the afternoon of 24 March, the Jashore car accident had claimed three lives.
In Natore, a truck-easybike collision killed three, including the driver, while in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, a 30-year-old man, Anis, died in a motorcycle accident.
Although road fatalities this Eid were slightly lower than in previous years, road safety remains a serious concern. During the 2024 Eid holidays, 322 people were killed in 315 accidents, rising to 407 deaths in 399 accidents in 2025.
The Passenger Welfare Association notes that motorcycles continue to be the deadliest mode of transport, accounting for nearly 46.85 percent of all road deaths in 2025.
