A comprehensive and effective Road Safety Act must be enacted immediately if Bangladesh is to meet its target of cutting road-crash deaths and injuries by half by 2030.
This call was made by speakers at a roundtable organised by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh in Dhaka on Monday, titled “Road Safety Law for Sustainable Development: Bangladesh Context and Way Forward.”
Speakers noted that the World Health Organization classifies road crashes as a preventable non-communicable disease. Under SDG 3.6, countries aim to reduce road-crash fatalities by 50 percent by 2030—an ambition that, they said, demands decisive action from Bangladesh.
Speaking as chief guest, BRTA Chairman Abu Momtaz Sad Uddin Ahmed said road safety cannot be ensured by any single institution. Effective coordination among researchers, medical professionals, engineers, transport owners and workers, and local authorities is essential to reduce casualties by 50 percent.
He emphasised the need for a standalone Road Safety Act, noting that people aged 5–29—“the future drivers of the economy”—are the most vulnerable.
Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury, who presided over the event, said road-crash deaths and disabilities are putting severe strain on the public health system and pushing families into financial hardship. The existing Road Transport Act 2018 and its 2022 regulations lack clear provisions for post-crash emergency response, he said, underscoring the need for a comprehensive new law.
Delivering the keynote, Mohammad Wali Noman, Manager of the Road Safety Injury and Prevention Programme at the National Heart Foundation, said more than 5,000 people die in road crashes every year in Bangladesh, with many more sustaining long-term injuries. Data from the BRTA and research bodies show that speeding and inadequate safety practices cause nearly 70 percent of all crashes.
He stressed that adopting the Safe System Approach—safe roads, safe speeds, safe road users and safe vehicles—outlined in the Global Plan for the Second Decade of Action could significantly reduce casualties, as has been demonstrated in multiple countries.
Citing a 2023 study by CIPRB and the National Heart Foundation, he added that most crash victims first seek treatment at primary health centres with limited emergency capacity. Road-crash patients occupy 16.2 percent of hospital beds, remain admitted for an average of 16 days, and spend roughly Tk 31,683 on medicine, transport, food and accommodation—placing sustained pressure on families and the health system.
During the open discussion, several youth participants described road crashes as one of the leading causes of death among young people and urged swift enactment and strict enforcement of a dedicated Road Safety Act.
The welcome speech was delivered by M Khalid Mahmud, Manager of BRAC’s Road Safety Programme.
Other attendees included Additional Secretary (Estate) of the Road Transport and Highways Division Nikhil Kumar Das; GHAI Country Coordinator Dr Md Shariful Alam; Shitanshu Biswas, Director of Road Safety; Dr Nurul Islam, Deputy Director of DGHS; Highway Police DIG Habibur Rahman; Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, Director of the National Heart Foundation’s Road Safety Programme; Senior Communication Officer Abu Jafor; members of the Bangladesh Road Safety Coalition; and representatives from various agencies and organisations.
AU/BP
