Road Accidents During Eid Holidays Claim 79 Lives Across Bangladesh

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A total of 79 people were killed and 135 others injured in road accidents across Bangladesh during the seven-day Eid-ul-Adha holiday period, spanning from May 25 to May 31. Data indicates that the fatalities resulted from 32 separate incidents, with a significant spike occurring on the final day of the holiday alone, which saw 12 deaths and at least 78 injuries.

Motorcycles were the leading cause of the carnage, accounting for nearly 41 percent of the total deaths. Out of 30 documented accidents, 15 involved motorcycles, resulting in 32 fatalities. Experts attribute the high casualty rate to a combination of excessive vehicle pressure, reckless driving, hazardous overtaking, and long-standing systemic mismanagement of the nation’s road network.

The holiday travel period was marked by several harrowing incidents. The deadliest single accident occurred on May 25 in Tangail’s Kalihati, where a truck laden with iron rods overturned, killing 15 workers. Other tragedies included a bus crash in Kushtia that injured 32 people, a fatal collision involving a battery-run easy bike in Netrokona that claimed the lives of a mother and her two daughters, and a multi-vehicle collision in Dhaka’s Nadda area that resulted in four deaths.

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Transportation experts, including Professor Md. Hadiuzzaman, former director of the Accident Research Institute at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), have criticized the current reactive approach to road safety. Professor Hadiuzzaman argued that road safety cannot be achieved through short-term holiday measures while allowing systemic disorder to persist year-round. He emphasized the need for cultivating a long-term “safety culture” and urged authorities to prioritize the expansion of railway capacity to alleviate pressure on road networks.

The prevalence of motorcycle accidents has been linked to the scarcity of public transport and exorbitant fare hikes during the Eid season, which force travelers to choose riskier modes of transport. According to Professor Hadiuzzaman, the lack of professional driving experience, high speeds, and inconsistent traffic enforcement exacerbate the risks, particularly as administration vigilance often wanes following the holiday rush.