At least 7855 people were killed and 13330 others injured in road, train and waterway accidents across the country last year, said a report on Saturday.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity Md Muzammel Haque released the report at a press conference at Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh in the capital city.
Desperate driving, risky overtaking, faulty roads, unfit vehicles, carelessness of passengers and pedestrians, unskilled drivers and using cell phones by drivers of running vehicles are the main reasons of road disasters, said the report.
Besides, there is an 8.07 per cent increase in deaths by road mishaps last year than the previous year. The report added addict drivers and vehicles which cross railway crossing meet the tragic road accidents.
Apart from these, inadequate pavement, weak railway law and increasing of light vehicles are also responsible for the accidents those are taking away lives every day.
The report also said that 219 and 469 people were killed in 203 and 482 accidents respectively occurred in water and railways. 282 people were injured and 375 went missing during the accidents in waterways, whereas 706 got injured in rail accidents, it added.
Md Muzammel Haque said proper repairing and renovation of many faulty parts of highways can reduce road disasters on the highway significantly.
He suggested a lot of initiatives to reduce road disasters. These include setting up of CC cameras on roads, strict implementation of the road transportation act 2018, removal of haat-bazars along local and national road sides and drawing of zebra crossing and traffic lines in all roads and highways all over the country.
However, he requested to train up drivers and make a training academy for the traffic police officers. New and fit vehicles should be introduced as per the demand of the time, he added. He urged the journalists to publish and telecast anti-road accident contents in media to create awareness among people.