At least 423 people were killed and 674 injured in 442 road accidents across Bangladesh in September 2026, according to the Passenger Rights Protection Council, which has warned of heightened road safety risks during the extended Durga Puja holidays.
The organisation called for an end to extra fare collection, better discipline in public transport and increased highway surveillance to ensure safe journeys for people travelling home or visiting family during the festival.
Its September road accident monitoring report and proposals for safer Puja travel were prepared by its information monitoring cell using reports from 12 national newspapers, 22 national and regional online news outlets, electronic media and field-level sources.
Of those killed in road accidents last month, 73 were women and 61 were children. The report recorded an average of around 14 deaths a day.
Motorcycle-related crashes accounted for 156 accidents and 139 deaths. Pedestrians accounted for 106 fatalities, while 53 drivers and their assistants were also killed.
The vehicles involved included 162 motorcycles, 129 three-wheelers and 113 buses, according to the report.
A breakdown of accident causes showed that drivers losing control accounted for 168 crashes, while 109 involved vehicles striking or running over pedestrians. Another 98 resulted from head-on or multi-vehicle collisions, and 61 were caused by rear-end impacts.
Regional roads recorded the highest number of accidents, at 178. Urban roads accounted for 63 crashes and rural roads for 56, the report said.
Dhaka Division recorded the highest number of accidents, with 132 crashes leaving 134 people dead. Sylhet Division had the lowest number, with 20 accidents and 21 fatalities.
Gazipur recorded the highest number of deaths among individual districts, with 38 fatalities. In Dhaka city, 52 road accidents killed 21 people and injured 47 during September.
The report also recorded 11 waterway accidents that left 16 people dead, seven injured and four missing. A further 23 train accidents killed 19 people and injured six.
Causes of Road Accidents
The Passenger Rights Protection Council identified several factors contributing to road accidents, including unfit vehicles, reckless driving, inadequate driver training and shortcomings in drivers’ physical and mental fitness.
Other contributing factors included the absence of fixed working hours and regular wages for drivers, insufficient service lanes on highways, the movement of slow-moving vehicles on major roads and weak traffic management oversight.
The organisation also identified reckless motorcycle riding among young people and a lack of awareness of traffic laws as significant safety risks.
Six-Point Proposal for Safer Puja Travel
To reduce accidents and passenger harassment during the Durga Puja holidays, the council proposed measures in six key areas.
First, it called for highway speed monitoring through CCTV cameras and speed guns, electronic prosecution and strict action against traffic law violations. It also urged authorities to ensure transparency and digitisation in driving licence issuance and vehicle fitness testing.
Second, the organisation proposed identifying accident-prone locations, repairing dangerous bends and installing road dividers and warning signs. It also called for safe pedestrian crossings, including footbridges, underpasses and zebra crossings, as well as separate service lanes for slow-moving vehicles on national highways.
Third, it stressed the need for mandatory driver training, drug testing, fixed working hours and regular wages. Long-distance vehicles should carry alternate drivers, while drivers and their assistants should receive appointment letters and social protection, it said.
Fourth, the council called for quality helmets to be mandatory for both motorcycle riders and passengers, alongside strict enforcement of speed limits. It also proposed restricting slow-moving and non-motorised vehicles on highways and providing alternative local roads for them.
Fifth, it recommended incorporating road safety education into primary and secondary school curricula and expanding public awareness campaigns through the media. Rescue teams, ambulances and functional trauma centres should also be available at regular intervals along highways to ensure prompt emergency assistance.
Sixth, the organisation called for a ban on illegal hydraulic horns and tighter controls on unnecessary honking, arguing that reducing noise pollution and helping drivers maintain concentration were important to road safety.
Advice for Passengers
The council urged passengers not to travel in overcrowded buses, trains or launches in ways that put their lives at risk during the festival holidays.
It advised passengers to speak out against reckless driving, wear helmets when travelling by motorcycle and cross roads only at designated points. Travellers were also advised to check gas, electricity and water connections at home before leaving and to exercise caution when accepting food or drinks from strangers.
The organisation called on the media to highlight excessive fares, public transport shortages and irregularities at bus terminals, launch terminals and railway stations.
It said coordinated monitoring was essential to manage the surge in passenger numbers during the Durga Puja holidays, as during major Eid holidays.
Passenger Rights Protection Council President Kamarun Nahar, General Secretary Saymun Nahar Zidni, Organising Secretary Zubayer Sikder, Finance Secretary Abul Bashar Howlader and advisers Golam Faruk and Md Azadur Rahman spoke at the event.
Zubayer Sikder said the proposals aimed to ensure safe and hassle-free journeys and raise public awareness of road safety. He expressed hope that the relevant authorities would take prompt and effective action so that no family would have to mourn the loss of a loved one in a road accident during the festival holidays.na