In March, a total of 593 road accidents occurred across Bangladesh, resulting in 612 deaths and 1,246 injuries, according to a report by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity. The report, released by the organization’s Secretary General Md. Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, also stated that 40 railway accidents led to 34 deaths and 6 injuries, while 8 waterway incidents caused 18 fatalities and 1 injury. Altogether, 641 accidents across road, rail, and waterways resulted in 664 deaths and 1,253 injuries.

The report highlights that 227 motorcycle-related accidents alone caused 251 deaths and injured 208 others. Based on news monitoring of national, regional, and online newspapers, the report identifies Dhaka as the division with the highest number of road accidents—148 incidents leaving 150 dead and 364 injured—while Barisal saw the lowest, with 31 accidents resulting in 31 deaths and 86 injuries.

Several factors were cited as contributing to the rising accident toll: poor enforcement and misuse of traffic laws, corruption in regulatory bodies, unregulated growth of motorcycles and battery-powered three-wheelers, lack of road signs and lighting, use of fog lights at night, poorly constructed roads, unfit vehicles, untrained drivers, illegal occupation of sidewalks, reckless driving, extortion on highways, and driving on the wrong side of the road.

To address these issues, the report recommends urgent state-level reforms, including the creation of a comprehensive national accident data bank, restrictions on the import and registration of small vehicles like motorcycles and e-bikes, initiatives to train competent drivers, mandatory use of reflective vests for night riders, improved wages and working hours for drivers, better highway lighting, elimination of black spots, regular road safety audits, and the development of “star-rated” road corridors. It also calls for a thorough audit of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to identify and reform institutional weaknesses.