During the seven-day Eid-ul-Fitr holidays from March 17 to 23, Bangladesh witnessed a sharp rise in road accidents, with conflicting death tolls reported by government and private sources. The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) recorded 92 accidents causing 100 deaths and 217 injuries, while the non-governmental Road Safety Foundation reported 268 accidents resulting in at least 204 deaths and over 600 injuries. The discrepancy has raised concerns about the accuracy and completeness of official data.

Reports indicate that several serious incidents, including a fatal bus crash at Comilla’s Paduar Bazar rail crossing that killed 12 people, were missing from the government’s list. Hospitals across the country, including Dhaka’s National Orthopedic Hospital, saw a surge in patients injured in traffic accidents, many involving motorcycles, battery-powered rickshaws, and easybikes.

Road Safety Foundation’s executive director warned that the final death toll could rise further, while the Passengers Welfare Association noted that accidents often increase when people return to work after Eid due to reduced monitoring and law enforcement on roads.