At least 614 people were killed and 1,196 others injured in 597 road accidents across Bangladesh in May, according to a report released by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity. 

The total number of transport-related fatalities rises to 658 when including accidents on railways and waterways. 

The report, compiled by the organisation’s Accident Monitoring Cell through nationwide media tracking, was published on Thursday (June 12) in a press statement signed by Secretary General Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury.

In addition to road crashes, 35 people were killed and 14 injured in 48 railway accidents. Seven incidents on waterways claimed the lives of nine people, while ten others remain missing. 

In total, 652 accidents were recorded across all transport modes during the month, resulting in 1,210 injuries.

Motorcycle-related accidents remained the most fatal, with 256 people killed and 201 injured in 233 incidents. These accounted for nearly 39 percent of all accidents and more than 41 percent of total fatalities in May. 

Dhaka division reported the highest number of road accidents with 139 cases that left 148 dead and 271 injured. The lowest number occurred in Barisal, where 30 accidents resulted in 30 deaths and 44 injuries.

Of the 945 vehicles involved in road crashes last month, motorcycles accounted for the largest share at nearly 30 percent. Trucks, pickup vans, and lorries made up more than 22 percent, followed by buses, battery-powered rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, and cars. 

The association called for urgent and sustained action to improve road safety, stressing the need for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, improvements in transport infrastructure, and public education campaigns to reduce the country’s alarming rate of transport-related deaths and injuries.

SMS/