Eid holidays in Bangladesh saw record road accident deaths: Group

Last updated Jul 24, 2022

At least 398 people were killed and 774 injured in 319 road accidents from July 3 to 17, the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association says.Nearly 400 people were killed and almost twice that number injured in more than 300 road accidents in the fortnight around the Eid al-Adha holidays in Bangladesh this month.It is the highest number of road accident deaths during the Muslim festival since the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association (BPWA) began compiling such data in 2016.

The South Asian nation of 165 million people has one of the highest road accident and casualty rates in the world. The incidents rise sharply during the Eid holidays when millions of people return to their homes in the countryside from capital Dhaka and other cities.

According to the BPWA, at least 398 people were killed and 774 injured in 319 road accidents between July 3 and July 17. Eid al-Adha was celebrated on July 10 in the Muslim-majority country.

The previous high of such deaths took place this year only during the Eid al-Fitr festival when 376 people were killed and nearly 1,500 injured in 283 road accidents between April 25 and May 9, says BPWA.

Since almost half the deaths during the Eid al-Fitr holidays involved motorcycles, the government banned two-wheeler vehicles on important highways for seven days from July 7 to July 13.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES