Road crashes claim 116,726 lives in 12 years

Bangladesh has witnessed a staggering 116,726 deaths and 165,021 injuries in 67,890 road accidents over the past 12 years, according to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samiti (BJKS).

The organisation blamed widespread corruption, policy failures, and chronic mismanagement in the transport sector for what it described as “mass killings on the country’s roads.”

Speaking at a press conference marking National Road Safety Day 2025 at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Tuesday, BJKS Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said the country’s road safety situation has turned into an “alarming humanitarian crisis.”

“Before independence, 80 per cent of passenger movement in the country was through water and rail routes, and only 20 per cent by road. But after independence, under donor-driven prescriptions and flawed government policies, massive investments were made in road expansion while rail and water transport were neglected. Now, 80 per cent of people depend on roads, and road accidents have increased proportionately,” he said.

Citing data compiled from media reports between 2014 and September 2025, Chowdhury said the number of casualties on Bangladesh’s roads in the last 12 years exceeds the total deaths in wars such as the ongoing Gaza conflict and the Russia–Ukraine war.

“The number of people killed on our roads is several times higher than those killed in those wars. This is not mere negligence—it is a national tragedy,” he added.

He accused the former Awami League government of institutionalising chaos in the transport sector through rampant corruption, extortion, and mismanagement involving transport owners, workers, and a section of corrupt police officials. “Unfit vehicles, unlicensed and underage drivers, reckless driving, and drug use among drivers have turned our roads into death traps,” he said.

The BJKS leader also criticised the current interim government for its silence on the issue. “Even after the change in government, no effective policy shift has been seen in the Road Transport Ministry, BRTA, or the traffic department. Without visible reforms and accountability, these deadly incidents will persist,” he warned.

Chowdhury proposed forming a “Road Management Reform Commission” to coordinate policy, ensure transparency, and modernise traffic management. He also urged the government to revitalise the country’s rail and river transport systems to reduce excessive dependency on roads.

The BJKS also presented a 12-point set of recommendations to prevent further casualties, including:

• Reviving water and rail networks alongside roads to establish an integrated transport system.

• Stopping extortion, corruption, and the dominance of transport owners’ and workers’ syndicates.

• Introducing mass rapid transit (including underground metro) and dedicated bus rapid transit (BRT) lanes in major cities.

• Strengthening the national bus network from districts to upazilas.

• Halting the import and registration of battery-run and three-wheeler vehicles.

• Providing state-funded professional training for drivers.

• Modernising traffic police operations with digital tools and establishing a traffic training academy.

• Bringing all road accident victims under state compensation schemes.

• Ensuring passenger representation in all transport-related policy forums.

• Enforcing accountability among officials of transport regulatory agencies.

• Creating dedicated lanes and footpaths for cyclists and pedestrians.

The press conference was also attended by BJKS President Sharif Rafiquzzaman, BARVITA President Abdul Haque, and Drivers Welfare Association Chairman Badal Ahmed, among others.

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