Photo: Collected
Eid celebrations were marred by a tragic surge in road accidents caused by reckless speeding on empty roads. Motorcyclists were particularly vulnerable, bearing the brunt of these incidents. On the very day of Eid, 16 lives were lost in road accidents across the country, with 10 of those fatalities involving motorcycles. By the fifth day of the festival, the death toll from road accidents had risen to a staggering 50, leaving nearly a hundred more individuals injured.
Monibur Rahman, chief of traffic department and additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said, “Although accidents were fewer in the capital this time, they increased in other parts of the country. Due to the empty roads, a section of youth could not control the excessive speed of their motorcycles, leading to more accidents.”
He added, “If we are not aware ourselves, having thousands of police on the roads will not work. However, the police are working to raise awareness. Some comply, while others do not. Those who do not comply end up being victims of accidents.”
According to relevant sources, 16 people died in road accidents across the country on the very day of Eid. Among them, one person died in Gulshan, Dhaka, three in Kolmakanda of Netrokona, two in Panchagarh, two in Guimara of Khagrachhari, and two in Narsingdi.
In Gulshan of the capital, a 27-year-old motorcycle rider named Momota Shikdar died after being struck by a private car. In Kolmakanda Upazila of Netrokona, three youths died on Eid day after losing control of their motorcycles while riding. They were Hridoy Mia (24), son of Kabir Mia of Koira village in Nazirpur Union of the upazila, Halim Mia (22), son of Md. Joynal Mia of Amtola village, and Nabi Hossain (35), son of Mojibur Mia of Hatshira Shibnagar village.
In Panchagarh, an uncle and nephew lost their lives in a head-on collision between two motorcycles. Additionally, four others were injured and undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital. The accident occurred in the afternoon on the regional highway in the Notunbandar area of the municipal town. The deceased were Sabbir Hossain (16), son of Yakub Ali from Lohagara Shuparitola village in Kaliganj Union; Kawsar Ali (15), son of Baset Ali from the same area; Sabbir (17), son of Mojnur from Kha Para area of Debiganj Sadar Union; and Barkat (16), son of Hazrat Ali, also from the same area.
In Guimara of Khagrachhari, two people lost their lives in separate road accidents. Mehedi Hasan Payel (20) and Ali Hossain (17) were the unfortunate victims. These accidents occurred on April 11 in the Bottoli and Boropilak areas of Guimara. The deceased were the riders of motorcycles. In another tragic incident, college student Diganto Chakma died in a motorcycle accident.
In Narsingdi, Shahin (23) from the Gaushia Shawgat area of Narayanganj district and Sani (22) were killed after being struck by a passenger bus.
A teenager named Shamim Hosen died after losing control of his motorcycle in Chuadanga. Three friends from Faridpur went out for a motorcycle ride on Eid day, but two of them were killed in a road accident in Naria. Two more were injured in this incident. The name of one of the killed motorcycle riders is Alshaf Matubbar (22). He was the son of Asad Matubbar from Kumorpotti village in Saltha upazila of Faridpur. The other deceased was a pedestrian.
In the capital's Sardarghat, five people, including three from the same family, were tragically killed by the impact of a snapped launch rope.
On the second day of Eid, Friday, three people, including a Saudi expatriate, lost their lives in a motorcycle accident in Kishoreganj. Additionally, seven more fatalities occurred in Rajshahi, Naogaon, and Natore.
Moving to the third day of Eid, Saturday, tragically, 14 people perished, most of whom were motorcycle riders. Among them were two youths in Alamdanga of Chuadanga, who lost control of their motorcycle, and two friends in Madhupur of Tangail, who died in a head-on collision between a motorcycle and a private car. Another friend was critically injured in the latter incident.
Additionally, on the Sadar Upazila highway in Narail, Topu Ghosh (27) lost his life in a head-on collision between two motorcycles, with three others sustaining injuries. In Sitakunda of Chattogram, two individuals died, and in Thakurgaon, two others lost their lives in a head-on collision between motorcycles, with three more critically injured. In Kolapara of Patuakhali, Afzal Hossain (60) and Zakaria (23) met their demise when a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw lost control and fell into a ditch.
Dr. Kudrat-E-Khuda, Chairman of the Law Department and Researcher at Daffodil International University, expressed his concern by saying, “Despite warnings from law enforcement agencies, a section of youth does not seem to care at all. This is why the death toll is higher. We need to be more aware.”
Messenger/Disha
