Bangladesh must urgently introduce a comprehensive and effective road safety law to halve road crash-related deaths and injuries by 2030, speakers said at a roundtable in the capital on Monday.
The discussion titled “Road Safety Law for Sustainable Development: Bangladesh Context and Priorities” was organised by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh at the CIRDAP auditorium.
Speakers said the World Health Organization identifies road crashes as a preventable non-communicable disease, noting that Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 calls for reducing global road crash deaths by 50 percent by 2030 and Bangladesh must act quickly and decisively to meet that target.
Presenting the keynote paper, 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 thousands more injured.
Citing BRTA and research data, he said excessive speed and lack of safety equipment account for nearly 70 percent of all crashes.
Noman stressed the need to adopt the Safe System Approach outlined in the Global Plan for the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety.
Ensuring safe roads, safe speeds, safe vehicles and safe road users could significantly reduce casualties and many countries have already lowered fatalities using this approach, he said.
Referring to a 2023 study by CIPRB and the National Heart Foundation, Noman said most road crash victims first seek treatment at primary healthcare centres where emergency capacity remains limited.
He said 16.2 percent of hospital beds stay occupied by such patients each admitted for an average of 16 days.
Families spend around Tk 31,683 on treatment, transport and related costs, creating long-term financial strain.
During the open discussion, young participants said road crashes have become a leading cause of death among youth and urged the government to adopt and enforce a strong road safety law without delay.
They also reminded authorities of Bangladesh’s commitment at the Global Ministerial Conference in Morocco to enact a road safety law by 2027 and to introduce speed management guidelines and standard helmet guidelines by 2026.
They urged visible progress toward these goals.
Speaking as special guest, Prof Dr Sohel Reza Choudhury said road crash-related deaths and disabilities are putting enormous pressure on the health system and pushing many families into financial hardship.
He said the Road Transport Act 2018 and its 2022 regulations lack clear directives on post-crash response, leading to delays in emergency care.
BRTA Chairman Abu Momtaz Sad Uddin Ahmed said ensuring road safety cannot be the responsibility of any single institution.
“With coordinated efforts involving researchers, doctors, engineers, transport owners and workers, and local government bodies, Bangladesh can achieve the target of reducing crash fatalities by half. We are ready to take all necessary measures,” he added.
BRAC Road Safety Programme Manager M Khalid Mahmud delivered the welcome remarks.
Among others, Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Sharaf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Additional Secretary (Estate) of the Roads and Highways Division Nikhil Kumar Das, and GHAI Country Coordinator Dr Md Shariful Alam attended the event.