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Human lives are unimaginably cheap in Bangladesh. Hundreds of lives slip away every year here not due to natural disasters or foreign adversaries but because, collectively, we undervalue human lives. We lose our most priceless asset in efforts to save a few taka or a small amount of time, cutting corners, or giving pride a place over safety.
Data from the World Health Organisation suggests around 32,000 lives are lost annually in road crashes in Bangladesh. Motorcyclists make up the largest share of fatal accidents with nearly 40 per cent of the crashes involving bikes and 35 per cent of victims being riders. Many travel without helmets or licences because they think wearing the safety gear is inconvenient or it involves unnecessary costs. Similarly, unfit vehicles -- mostly older, worn-out, and without fitness certificates -- ply roads across the country compromising safety because inspection seems optional or their operation is made possible through bribery. Many of the road fatalities could have been avoided had vehicles without fitness licences been kept off the road and basic safety measures like seatbelts, helmets, speed limits, and proper licensing ensured.
A cultural syndrome plays a big role behind the loss of lives in Bangladesh. In public and private life, we prioritise saving money over safety. Whether it is skipping maintenance on a vehicle to cut costs or using cheap, flimsy protective gear in a hazardous job, lives are regularly traded off for economic convenience. We add unauthorised and unscientific extra metal bumper to every motorised vehicle - be it commercial or private - seemingly to protect our vehicles but that ultimately puts our lives at risk. It is well-recognised that vehicles with metal bumpers cause more harm to those involved in any accident than the ones without such devices.
Jaywalking on busy urban streets is another aspect of compromising safety. Every day, pedestrians risk their lives by stepping into traffic at unauthorised points, exposing themselves to grave danger and contributing to mounting road fatalities. According to media reports, pedestrians account for nearly half of all road crash victims in Dhaka, with more than 1,600 pedestrian deaths reported in 2022 alone.
Another tragic pattern in Bangladesh is that we prefer cheaper substandard products to save money. Manufacturers opt for low-priced ingredients or processes to produce goods, even lifesaving drugs, to keep their cost low. And people sometimes prefer expired or counterfeit products knowingly and even medical facilities use low-quality materials. They do not take into consideration that such "savings" come at the cost of their own health and lives.
Again, countless lives are lost each year in Bangladesh over trivial conflicts -- often involving a small sum of money or petty disagreements. These tragedies reflect the mind-set in which human life is not given the value it deserves.
We, starting from individual to the state level, need to understand lives are invaluable which should never be forfeited over money. The saving of a small amount of money compromising safety often ends up incurring far greater losses through accidents, health crises, or reduced life expectancy. As a nation aspiring to grow in peace and dignity, we cannot afford it. It is necessary to shift our attitudes and give lives priority over anything.