TL;DR
- Bangladesh saw 443 road accidents in October 2024, resulting in 469 deaths and 837 injuries, including 74 women and 66 children.
- Motorbike-related accidents accounted for 196 deaths, making up 41.79% of the total fatalities, while pedestrians and vehicle operators also faced significant casualties.
- Dhaka Division reported the highest number of accidents (131), leading to 144 deaths, while Sylhet Division had the fewest incidents.
- The report also noted fatalities from maritime and railway accidents, with seven deaths in four maritime incidents and 18 deaths in 21 railway incidents.
In a tragic month for road safety, Bangladesh recorded 443 road accidents in October 2024, resulting in the deaths of 469 people and injuries to 837 others, according to a report from the Road Safety Foundation. The alarming figures highlight the ongoing dangers on the country’s roads, with motorbike-related incidents accounting for a significant portion of the fatalities.
The report, compiled from data sourced from national newspapers, online portals, broadcast media, and internal sources, paints a grim picture of road safety across the country. Among the deceased were 74 women and 66 children, underscoring the widespread impact of these accidents on families and communities.
Motorbikes were involved in 208 accidents, leading to 196 deaths—comprising 41.79% of the total fatalities. Additionally, 102 pedestrians and 67 vehicle operators or their assistants lost their lives during the same period. The report also noted fatalities from other forms of transportation: four maritime accidents resulted in seven deaths and three injuries, while 21 railway incidents caused 18 deaths and six injuries.
The geographical distribution of accidents reveals that Dhaka Division experienced the highest number of incidents, with 131 accidents leading to 144 fatalities. In contrast, Sylhet Division saw the fewest accidents—22 in total—resulting in 24 deaths. Chattogram district recorded the highest number of individual district accidents with 34 incidents and 39 deaths. Meanwhile, districts such as Magura, Jhalakati, Barguna, and Panchagarh reported accidents without any fatalities.
The report also highlighted specific groups affected by these crashes. Among those killed were three police officers, two members of Ansar (a paramilitary auxiliary force), nine teachers from various educational institutions, and four journalists.
The rising number of road crashes has been an ongoing concern for Bangladesh. Experts have attributed this increase to several factors, including poor enforcement of traffic laws, unregulated transport operations, and a lack of road safety education. In addition to motorbike accidents, the proliferation of unlicensed drivers and substandard vehicles has worsened the situation.
This latest report follows a broader trend seen earlier in the year. Between January and September 2024 alone, at least 4,153 people died in road crashes across Bangladesh. Despite efforts by authorities to improve road safety through various initiatives and campaigns—such as National Road Safety Day—the numbers continue to rise.
As Bangladesh grapples with this public safety crisis, calls for stronger political commitment and more effective implementation of road safety measures are growing louder. Transport experts have urged for reforms to break what they describe as a “vicious cycle” within the transport sector—where influential leaders within transport associations allegedly collude with police and political figures to maintain control over operations at the expense of public safety.
With these staggering statistics in mind, it is clear that addressing road safety remains an urgent priority for both the government and civil society. The Road Safety Foundation’s report serves as a sobering reminder that without immediate action, more lives will be lost on Bangladesh’s roads in the months ahead.
Source: The Daily Star
