Eid holiday road chaos leaves 1,621 injured as unregulated rickshaws surge

Road accidents during the five-day Eid holiday left 1,621 people injured, with battery-run rickshaws and motorcycles playing a major role. The National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) treated 431 victims, performing emergency operations on 416 of them. Officials now highlight the growing dangers posed by unregulated three-wheelers in Dhaka. Battery-run rickshaws were linked to 315 injuries—nearly one in five of all road crash victims. These vehicles accounted for 20.52% of road deaths in 2023, rising slightly to 21.01% in 2024. By August 2025, the figure stood at 19.75%, despite only 1,247 being officially registered in Dhaka by the end of 2024.

The surge in accidents follows a rapid increase in these vehicles over the past 18 months. Hundreds began operating in large numbers during the second half of 2024, with crashes spiking sharply by March 2025. Road safety campaigners have repeatedly warned about reckless driving, unskilled operators, and weak traffic law enforcement. Motorcycle accidents also claimed a significant share, injuring 178 people—about 11% of the total. Experts attribute the high numbers to widespread disregard for traffic rules and inadequate driver training.

NITOR's figures underscore the rising toll of battery-run rickshaws and motorcycles on Dhaka's roads. With 315 injuries tied to three-wheelers and 178 to bikes, authorities face pressure to tighten regulations. The data also points to a persistent pattern of preventable crashes during peak travel periods.