Bangladesh has witnessed 67,890 road accidents over the past 12 years that left 116,726 people dead and 165,021 others injured, according to Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.
The organisation’s Secretary General, Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, disclosed the figures at a press conference at Reporters Unity in Dhaka, marking the National Road Safety Day.
Calling road accidents ‘a form of mass killing,” Mozammel Haque blamed widespread corruption, poor governance, and flawed policies for the persistent crisis.
“Irregularities, mismanagement, extortion, and collusion among transport owners, workers, and certain corrupt police officers during the previous Awami League government deepened the chaos on roads,” he said.
He also cited unfit vehicles, underage and unlicensed drivers, poorly designed roads, and drug-addicted or untrained drivers as key causes behind the staggering number of fatalities.
Jatri Kalyan Samity prepared the report compiling media reports published between 2014 and September, 2025.
Mozammel Haque said the actual figures could be much higher than those reported by the media.
“During the same period, around 67,000 people were killed in the Gaza war and 45,000 in the Russia-Ukraine war. Yet, road crashes in Bangladesh have claimed far more lives,” he added.
He questioned the effectiveness of the government’s current initiatives to curb what he described as “serial road killings.”
The Jatri Kalyan Samity leader also criticised the nation’s road-centric transport policy, saying that donor-driven projects had undermined safer alternatives such as waterways and railways.
“Due to the absence of an integrated public transport system, unregulated vehicles like battery-run three-wheelers, motorcycles, CNG autorickshaws, Nasimon-Karimon, and converted pickups have flooded the roads, worsening congestion and accidents,” he added.
He accused former Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader of failing to reform the sector during his long tenure. “Even after the recent political change, no significant reform has been made by the Ministry of Road Transport, BRTA, or the Traffic Division,” Mozammel said.
Criticising the government’s recent move to legalise battery-run autorickshaws, he warned that poor implementation could bring Dhaka and Chattogram traffic to a standstill within a year.
He recommended introducing underground metro systems in all divisional cities and launching at least two Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes in Dhaka, Chattogram, and other major cities with digital fare systems.
“Such steps would restore order to the transport sector, reduce accidents, ease congestion, and improve Bangladesh’s global image,” he said.