The Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association (BPWA) has reported a tragic spike in accidents during the 15-day Eid period, with 377 incidents leading to 394 deaths and 1,288 injuries across road, rail, and water transport.
The report, titled “Eid Travel Road Accident Report – 2026”, was unveiled at a press conference held at the Sagar-Runi Hall of the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) at 11 a.m. on Monday. BPWA General Secretary Md. Mozammel Haque Chowdhury presented the findings.
“Even though a new government is in place, the transport sector continues to be controlled in a mafia-style manner by old officials and owners’ and workers’ leaders. Citizens or passenger representatives were not included in the government’s Eid management meetings,” said Chowdhury.
“Transport owners have created fare chaos and disorder, which has contributed to the rise in road accidents.”
Key Statistics from the 15-Day Eid Period (March 14 – March 28, 2026):
- Road Accidents:
- 351 deaths and at least 1,046 injuries nationwide.
- 43% of accidents occurred on national highways.
- Motorcycles were involved in 125 accidents, resulting in 135 deaths (36.12% of total road accidents; 38.46% of road fatalities).
- Vehicle involvement in accidents:
- Motorcycles: 27.16%
- Trucks & Covered Vans: 17.73%
- Passenger Buses: 16.22%
- Rail Accidents:
- 23 incidents, 35 deaths, 223 injuries
- Waterway Accidents:
- 8 incidents, 8 deaths, 19 injuries, 3 missing
- Compared to last year, fatalities increased by 8.26%, and accidents rose by 8.95%.
The report underscores the persistent challenges in Bangladesh’s transport sector, highlighting the need for better management, regulatory oversight, and inclusion of passenger representatives in planning for large-scale travel events like Eid.
