In April, a total of 628 fatalities and 1,207 injuries were recorded in 610 accidents across Bangladesh’s road, rail and waterways, according to an analysis by the accident monitoring cell of the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.
The information was disclosed in a report issued to the media on Tuesday by the organization’s Secretary General, Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury.
According to the report, 567 road accidents resulted in 583 deaths and 1,202 injuries.
Additionally, 35 rail-related incidents claimed 35 lives and injured five individuals, while eight accidents on waterways led to 10 deaths and left one person missing.
Chittagong division reported the highest number of road accidents during the month, with 138 incidents causing 136 deaths and 377 injuries.
In contrast, Sylhet Division recorded the lowest number, with 28 accidents resulting in 31 deaths and 51 injuries.
Motorcycle-related accidents were identified as a major contributor to road casualties, accounting for 215 incidents that resulted in 229 deaths and 224 injuries.
The report attributes the primary causes of these accidents to the unregulated movement of motorcycles and battery-operated rickshaws, insufficient road signage and lighting, poor road construction, vehicle malfunctions, violation of traffic laws, wrong-way driving, operation of unfit vehicles, unskilled drivers, overloading, passenger transport in cargo vehicles, extortion on roads and excessive working hours of drivers.
To address these issues, the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity proposed a series of recommendations, including a ban on the import and registration of motorcycles and easy bikes, installation of adequate lighting on highways, mandatory driver training and issuance of digital fitness certificates, establishment of separate lanes for slow- and fast-moving vehicles, elimination of extortion, enforcement of fixed wages and working hours for drivers, provision of road signage and pedestrian walkways, development of a modern bus network, and digital enforcement of road transport laws.
The report further recommends enhancing the capacity of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), ensuring quality road construction, conducting regular road safety audits and scrapping unfit and outdated vehicles.
