Road crashes kill 259 people during Eid journeys

At least 259 people were killed and 960 others injured in 237 road accidents during this year's Eid-ul-Azha holidays, according to Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers' welfare platform.
The accidents took place on different national and regional highways in 13 days from August 16 to August 28. Jatri Kalyan Samity came up with a report at a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) at Segunbagicha in the capital on Friday.
Former adviser to a caretaker government and convener of Safe Roads and Transport Alliance Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, former chairman of Bangladesh Road and Transport Authority (BRTA) Ayubur Rahman, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity General Secretary Mozammel Haque Chowdhury were present at the press conference. 
As many as 278 people were killed and 1,035 others injured in 270 accidents on roads, railways and waterways during this Eid journey between August 16 and August 28, the report said.
Of them, 15 people were killed and seven injured in 19 accidents on railways, four people were killed, 68 injured in 14 accidents on waterways, the report said, adding that the rest were killed and injured in accidents on highways.
Jatri Kalyan Samity General Secretary Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said the number of road accidents saw an increase during this year's Eid holidays than that of last year.
He, however, said the death toll in the road accidents decreased this year due to strict monitoring by the authorities concerned, including police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), following the recent students' agitation for safe roads.
"We've prepared the statistics based on reports published in national and regional newspapers and online news portals in the country," Mozammel said.
Holidaymakers started going village homes on August 16 as the Eid-ul-A