The seven-day Eid-ul-Fitr holiday has exposed a disturbing surge in road fatalities, with a sharp contrast between government and independent data raising questions over the accuracy of official figures.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) reported that between 17 and 23 March, 92 road accidents occurred nationwide, resulting in 100 deaths and 217 injuries. In contrast, the Road Safety Foundation (RSF) recorded 268 accidents, which claimed at least 204 lives and injured more than 600 people in the same period.
Several serious incidents appear to have been omitted from government records. For example, a catastrophic bus accident at Paduar Bazaar railway crossing in Comilla left 12 dead but is absent from BRTA’s 24-hour report for 21 March. Comilla is not mentioned at all in the official listing for that day.
Hospitals across the country faced intense pressure as victims poured in. At the National Orthopaedic Hospital and Rehabilitation Institute in Dhaka, 151 patients sought treatment between the night before Eid and the following afternoon. Most casualties were due to motorcycle, battery-operated rickshaw, and e-rickshaw accidents, a pattern mirrored in hospitals nationwide.
Eid travel is typically considered over a 15-day period—seven days before Eid, the day of Eid itself, and seven days afterwards. During this window last year, 315 accidents caused 322 deaths, while in 2024, 372 accidents claimed 416 lives, the highest in a decade.
BRTA’s day-by-day figures for the seven-day holiday are summarised below:
| Date | Accidents | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 March | 12 | 15 | 15 |
| 18 March | 18 | 13 | 62 |
| 19 March | 11 | 8 | 7 |
| 20 March | 6 | 8 | 36 |
| 21 March | 17 | 15 | 25 |
| 22 March | 19 | 32 | 60 |
| 23 March | 9 | 9 | 12 |
| Total | 92 | 100 | 217 |
RSF Executive Director Saidur Rahman cautioned that these are preliminary figures. Once full data is compiled after the holiday, fatalities may rise further, potentially setting a new record for deaths during Eid travel.
Passenger Welfare Association General Secretary Mozammel Haque Chowdhury added that accidents tend to increase as workers return from holidays, as road supervision and enforcement are often reduced.
The significant discrepancy between official and independent statistics underscores the urgent need for transparent reporting and enhanced road safety measures to protect travellers during festive seasons.