The highest number of fatalities in road accidents in the country so far has been recorded in the recently concluded year of 2024. Accident data, published on the website of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), reveals that 5,380 people lost their lives in road accidents in that year. The previous highest death toll is 5,084 fatalities, which was recorded in 2021.
Last year, two private organizations presented differing information regarding casualties in road accidents in the country. One organization, the Road Safety Foundation, reported yesterday (Wednesday, January 8) that 7,294 people had died in road accidents last year. Prior to this, another organization named the Passenger Welfare Association had provided the figure of 8,543 fatalities.
No effective measures have been taken to prevent incidents of fatalities on the roads despite the increasing amount of accidents. Following the fall of the previous government through a mass uprising, experts had hoped for effective steps to be taken to curb road fatalities. However, even after five months since the interim government assumed office, no effective or visible measures have been observed to restore order on the roads and highways.
Experts say that the student movement for ‘safe roads’ in 2018, which spread across Dhaka and the country, led to the then-government creating laws and plans to prevent accidents and ensure road safety. However, subsequent weaknesses in law enforcement and the failure to implement the plans meant that road safety did not improve. In fact, according to the BRTA, 2024 saw the highest number of road fatalities in the last five years. One of the key expectations from the interim government, which was formed following the 2024 mass uprising, was that order would be restored, roads would become safer, and fatalities would decrease.
Abdullah Al Manjid, an active participant in the 2018 Road Safety Movement and a student at Dhaka College, believes that the country’s road safety situation remains the same as it was before. He told Bonik Barta, “The initiatives that were taken following our movement have not yet been implemented. Recently, after the anti-discrimination student movement, students had taken charge of traffic control on the streets for some time and worked on road safety. During that time, the situation was improving. But now, the roads have become chaotic again, which is disappointing for us.”
Abdullah Al Manjid further stated, “New or old, we expect all governments to ensure road safety in the country. Since the current government has taken responsibility in the context of the student movement, I believe that the legitimate demands for safe roads raised by the students in 2018 should be given the highest priority.”
The measures taken by the interim government so far regarding roads largely follow the initiatives of the previous government. A policy was made to regulate the speed limit of vehicles on roads, but the current government has not been able to implement it yet. Transport experts identify excessive vehicle speed as one of the main causes of accidents.
The Road Transport Act was enacted in 2018 following the student movement, but some provisions of the law were later amended. Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, who has been working on road safety for a long time, believes that this law is now an obstacle to establishing safe roads. Dr. Sohel Choudhury, the head of the Department of Pathology and Research at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, told Bonik Barta, “We have long been saying that the 2018 Road Transport Act has many weaknesses. In such circumstances, we have also been demanding the creation of a new provision. Even though the interim government has not passed the law yet, they can still move forward with preparatory work and some policy measures. In our country, there is a policy to regulate vehicle speed, but it has not been implemented. Recently, motorcycle accidents have increased. Although there is some enforcement of helmet usage among motorcycle riders, ensuring the proper standard of helmets has not been achieved. The use of seat belts is low in our country, and there has been no visible national effort on this. There has been no significant work on preventing driver drug addiction either. We want the government to take strict measures in these areas. Additionally, the government system for compensating victims of accidents should be made easier. However, I feel that the interim government has given less priority to road safety issues compared to their other work since taking office.”
The Road Safety Foundation has stated in its report that the financial loss due to road accidents in 2024 will exceed BDT 218.80 billion, which may be more than 1.5 percent of the country’s GDP. The organization believes that the continuous increase in road accidents is due to various factors, including excessive speed of vehicles, unscientific road management methods, the rise in three-wheeler vehicles on highways, unskilled drivers, unfit vehicles, and weak road infrastructure.
Despite the rise in road accidents, the interim government has admitted that no satisfactory progress has been made in the past five months since taking office. The Adviser to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, acknowledged this in an interview with Bonik Barta. He said, “We have taken the road safety issue very seriously. We consider accidents as our failure. We haven’t been able to take satisfactory steps to prevent accidents so far, but we are working on it. We will expedite efforts to reduce accidents and make the roads safer.”
He further explained the government’s plans, stating, “Recently, we held a meeting with the goal of reducing road accidents. During that meeting, we gave the BRTA a one-month deadline to take effective actions. We have started taking steps against unfit vehicles, and such vehicles are being sent for dumping after operations. Regarding licenses, we are planning to introduce a special category. I will be meeting with the BRTA next Saturday to discuss this. This category of license will be given to those who receive training in road safety and other matters, particularly for drivers of public transport.”
Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan also mentioned that they are working with the World Bank on a road safety project. “Through this project, we are implementing various measures such as road markings, zebra crossings, providing ambulances for accident victims, establishing trauma centers, and more. Additionally, there is a speed control policy, but it has not been implemented. We will start working on how it can be effectively enforced in the field level,” he added.