Dewan Masukur Rahman
Special Correspondent | 04 February 2025 :
In January, 621 road accidents occurred in the country. 608 people were killed and at least 1,100 injured. Of the dead, 72 were women and 84 were children. 264 people died in 271 motorcycle accidents, which is 43.42 percent of the total deaths. The motorcycle accident rate is 43.63 percent. 143 pedestrians were killed in accidents, which is 23.51 percent of the total deaths. 73 vehicle drivers and assistants were killed, or 12 percent.
During this period, 6 people were killed and 2 were injured in 4 boat accidents. 26 people were killed and 7 were injured in 22 rail track accidents.
The Road Safety Foundation prepared the report based on 9 national dailies, 7 online news portals, various electronic media, and its own data.
Vehicle-based death toll:
The vehicle-based death toll in accidents shows that 264 motorcycle drivers and passengers (43.42%), 28 bus passengers (4.60%), 34 truck-covered van-pickup-tractor-trolley passengers (5.59%), 19 private car-microbus-ambulance passengers (3.12%), 90 three-wheeler passengers (easy bike-CNG-autorickshaw-autovan-Leguna) (14.80%), 18 locally made vehicle passengers (Nasimon-Bhotavti-Mahindra-Tomtom) (2.96%) and 12 bicycle-rickshaw passengers (1.97%) were killed.
Type of road where the accident occurred:
According to the Road Safety Foundation's monitoring and analysis, 214 (34.46%) of the accidents occurred on national highways, 265 (42.67%) on regional roads, 96 (15.45%) on rural roads, 42 (6.76%) on city roads, and 4 (0.64%) in other locations.
Accident type:
Of the accidents, 133 (21.41%) were head-on collisions, 258 (41.54%) were loss of control, 141 (22.70%) were pedestrians being hit/pushed, 75 (12.07%) were rear-end collisions, and 14 (2.25%) were other causes.
Vehicles involved in the accident:
Among the vehicles involved in the accident - truck-covered van-pickup-tractor-trolley-lorry-drum truck 29.66%, passenger bus 14.62%, microbus-private car-ambulance 3.70%, motorcycle 28.73%, three-wheeler (easy bike-CNG-autorickshaw-autovan-Leguna) 14.10%, locally made vehicles (Nasimon-Bhotavti-Almsadhu-Chander Gari-Tomtom-Mahindra-Borak-Latahamba) 4.32%, bicycle-rickshaw 1.64% and unidentified vehicle 3.19%.
Number of vehicles involved in the accident:
The number of vehicles involved in the accident is 971. (Buses 142, Trucks 191, Covered Vans 24, Pickups 26, Tractors 12, Trolleys 18, Lorries 6, Drum Trucks 11, Microbuses 19, Private Cars 15, Ambulances 2, Motorcycles 279, Three-wheelers 137 (Easy Bike-CNG-Auto Rickshaw-Auto Van-Leguna), Locally Made Vehicles 42 (Nasimon-Bhatovati-Alam Sadhu-Chander Gardi-Tomtom-Mahindra-Borak-Latahamba), Bicycle-Rickshaws 16 and Unknown Vehicles 31.
Accident time analysis:
The time analysis shows that the accidents occurred at 7.08% in the morning, 31.07% in the morning, 17.23% in the afternoon, 15.45% in the afternoon, 9.98% in the evening and 19.16% at night.
Accident statistics by category:
According to the accident statistics by division, accidents occurred in Dhaka division with 27.69%, fatalities 26.48%, accidents in Rajshahi division with 14.81%, fatalities 17.43%, accidents in Chittagong division with 15.61%, fatalities 15.78%, accidents in Khulna division with 12.56%, fatalities 12.17%, accidents in Barisal division with 5%, fatalities 4.93%, accidents in Sylhet division with 5.79%, fatalities 6.25%, accidents in Rangpur division with 13.36%, fatalities 111%, and accidents in Mymensingh division with 5.15%, fatalities 5.92%.
Dhaka division had the highest number of 172 accidents with 161 deaths. Barisal division had the lowest number of 31 accidents with 30 deaths. As a single district, Dhaka district had the lowest number of 42 accidents with 37 deaths. Panchagarh district had the lowest number of deaths. Although a few accidents occurred in this district, there were no fatalities.
23 people were killed and 31 injured in 28 road accidents in the capital Dhaka.
Occupation of the deceased:
Based on information published in the media, it is known that 2 policemen, 2 BGB members, 1 teacher from Rajshahi University, 9 teachers from various schools, colleges and madrasas, 3 journalists, 2 doctors, 1 BPATC official, 1 DC office official, 1 prison guard, 1 dancer, 8 officials and employees from various banks and insurance companies, 14 officials and employees from various NGOs, 26 sales representatives of medicines and various products, 27 local businessmen, 13 local political leaders, 6 imams and muezzins, 1 bicycle mechanic, 1 tubewell mechanic, 1 electrician, 2 mechanics, 9 garment workers, 4 construction workers, 3 masons, 7 paddy harvesters, 1 cleaner, 2 disabled people and 74 students from various schools, madrasas and colleges across the country were killed.
Main causes of road accidents:
1. Defective vehicles; 2. Reckless speeding; 3. Reckless mentality, inefficiency and physical and mental illness of drivers; 4. Lack of fixed salary and working hours; 5. Slow movement of vehicles on the highway; 6. Reckless riding of motorcycles by young people; 7. Ignorance and disobedience of traffic laws among the public; 8. Poor traffic management; 9. Inadequate capacity of BRTA; 10. Extortion in the public transport sector.
Recommendations:
1. Initiatives to create skilled drivers should be increased; 2. Drivers' salaries and working hours should be specified; 3. BRTA's capacity should be increased; 4. Transport owners-workers, passengers and pedestrians should be ensured unhindered implementation of traffic laws; 5. Highways should be closed to slow-moving vehicles and separate side roads (service roads) should be created for them; 6. Road dividers should be constructed on all highways in phases; 7. Extortion should be stopped in public transport; 8. Railways and waterways should be renovated to reduce pressure on roads; 9. Sustainable transport strategies should be formulated and implemented; 10. "Road Transport Act-2018" should be implemented unhindered.
Accident reviews and comments:
An average of 19.61 people were killed every day in January. Accidents have increased due to dense fog across the country. Most accidents occur due to loss of control of vehicles due to excessive speed. Monitoring through technology and motivational training of drivers are needed to control this speed. Pedestrian deaths are increasing due to reckless vehicles and pedestrians' ignorance. For this, a life-oriented awareness campaign should be run through the media and social media at the initiative of the government.
Due to lack of professional facilities, especially employment certificates, salaries and working hours, most of the drivers of buses and goods vehicles are physically and mentally ill. They always behave abnormally and drive recklessly. As a result, they get involved in accidents. Therefore, to prevent road accidents, professional facilities of transport workers and transparency and accountability of road transport regulatory institutions must be ensured.
Syed Amiruzzaman's response and recommendations:
In this regard, Comrade Syed Amiruzzaman, member of the Moulvibazar District Editorial Board of the Workers' Party of Bangladesh, special correspondent of the weekly Notun Katha, editor of RP News and prominent columnist, said, "This picture of the accident has revealed the picture of insecurity and limitless disorder on the roads of Bangladesh." To overcome this situation, including introducing basic driving education courses (including practical) in all educational institutions, increasing initiatives to create skilled drivers, specifying the salary and working hours of drivers, increasing the capacity of BRTA, ensuring unhindered implementation of traffic laws for transport owners and workers, passengers and pedestrians, stopping the movement of low-speed vehicles on highways and creating separate side roads (service roads) for them, constructing road dividers on all roads and highways, using technology to control vehicle speeds, stopping extortion in public transport, reducing pressure on roads by renovating and expanding railways and waterways, discouraging the use of motorcycles by improving public transport, making it accessible and affordable, ensuring strict monitoring systems on roads, waterways and railways, formulating and implementing sustainable transport strategies, etc.
New strategies and digitalized innovations must be utilized for proper implementation of road transport laws and regulations. Above all, traffic management must be modernized and digitized. In this regard, a development project was sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs from the Police Headquarters about two years ago, and its implementation is urgent.
Passengers and pedestrians should be aware of personal safety and compliance with rules and regulations. A culture of law and order should be created among citizens. Journalists, government officials, labor leaders, political leaders and activists, and influential people should provide assistance to law enforcement agencies in proper law enforcement.
It is possible to reduce accidents with the joint efforts of the administration, police, BRTA, city corporation, roads and highways, owners, drivers and other concerned individuals and organizations. A national cell should be formed with representatives of the concerned organizations and a similar cell should be formed in every division and district to provide regular monitoring and advice, and this cell should always actively perform its duties. In this way, it is possible to reduce road accidents.
