Syndicate-driven chaos: Jatri Kalyan Samity blames policy failures for 351 road deaths during Eid holidays
Bangladesh’s roads turned into deathtraps during the Eid-ul-Fitr rush, with at least 351 lives lost and 1,046 injured in a span of just 15 days, according to a grim report released by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.
The report, covering the period from March 14 to 28, highlighted a staggering spike in fatalities that the organization’s Secretary General, Md Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, described as more lethal than active conflict zones.
“If we analyze the casualties of the recent war in Iran over the past 15 days, the toll from road crashes in Bangladesh is several times higher,” Mozammel stated during a press briefing at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Monday. UNB News
The report, compiled through meticulous media monitoring, underscores a total of 394 fatalities and 1,288 injuries when accounting for 377 combined accidents across roads, railways, and waterways.
The data highlights a disproportionate crisis involving two-wheelers, as motorcycle accidents alone accounted for 125 incidents resulting in 135 deaths and 114 injuries, representing nearly 39 percent of all road fatalities.
Beyond the asphalt, the transport sector saw 23 railway accidents claiming 35 lives, while eight waterway incidents left eight dead and three missing.
The human cost was further evidenced at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), where 2,178 individuals were admitted for treatment during this period.
Among the vehicles involved in road mishaps, motorcycles led with 27 percent, followed by trucks and vans at 18 percent and buses at 16 percent, with head-on collisions and pedestrian-related incidents making up the majority of the carnage.
National highways remained the deadliest zones, hosting 43 percent of these accidents, a trend Mozammel attributed to systemic failures in government planning.
He criticized the exclusion of passenger representatives from Eid coordination meetings, alleging that transport owners and workers’ federations exerted undue influence to sideline public interest.
Highlighting a breakdown in order, Mozammel blamed “fare anarchy” and road chaos on these powerful syndicates, suggesting that such groups have regained the influence they lacked during the interim government period, ultimately compromising the safety of millions of commuters.
