281 killed on roads in 13 days

The Road Safety Foundation (RSF) revealed on Thursday that at least 281 people were killed and 837 others injured in 292 road accidents across the country during the 13-day Eid-ul-Azha travel period this year, representing a daily average of roughly 22 deaths during the festive holiday rush.

The figures, compiled by the road safety monitoring body between 21 May and 2 June, show that motorcycles remained the deadliest mode of transport, accounting for nearly half of all fatalities. 

The RSF recorded 141 motorbike crashes resulting in 124 deaths, which represents more than 44 per cent of the total death toll. 

The overall casualties across the country included 34 women, 48 children, and 37 pedestrians.

Geographically, Dhaka division emerged as the worst-affected region, recording 95 crashes and 101 fatalities, whilst Sylhet division registered the lowest holiday toll. 

The festive travel period also saw significant casualties on other transport networks, with 13 waterway accidents leaving eight people dead and 15 injured, and 22 railway incidents resulting in 17 deaths and nine injuries.

The foundation attributed the high accident rate to widespread speeding, unroadworthy vehicles, unlicensed or unskilled drivers, systemic traffic management failures, and reckless motorcycling by teenagers and young adults. 

The findings were synthesised from data gathered from national dailies, online news portals, electronic media, and the organisation's independent monitoring channels.