DE Online Reports
At least 438 people were killed and 1,424 injured in 419 accidents on road, rail and waterways during the Eid-ul-Fitr journey this year, according to the according to the Bangladesh Passengers’ Welfare Association.
Among them, 407 people were killed and 1,398 were injured in 399 road accidents across the country.
Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, Secretary General of the association, unveiled a report in this regard at a press conference at Sagar-Runi auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital’s Segunbagicha at 11am on Saturday.
Motorcycles were involved in the majority of accidents with 165 fatalities and 240 injuries in 165 incidents, accounting for 49.62% of total road accidents, he said.
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The PWAB road accident monitoring cell prepared the report by monitoring news published in popular and reliable national and regional daily news media, including data on 608 patients injured in accidents out of 685 at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation, popularly known as Pongu Hospital.
The speed of vehicles has increased due to development of roads, railways and waterways, but there is a lack of legal framework, skilled drivers and standard vehicles to make such speeds safe, Chowdhury said.
The association’s secretary general urged the government to build a developed and modern bus network system across the country and ban the import of motorcycles and three-wheelers.
Former Member of Parliament Lutfunnesa Khan, Public Transport expert Abdul Haque, Vice President of the association Tawhidul Haque Liton, Joint Secretary General Monirul Haque, Publicity Secretary Mahmudul Hasan Rasel were, among others, present during this time.
