Dhaka:National Road Safety Day is being observed today in Bangladesh with renewed calls for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, safer roads, and coordinated efforts to reduce road crashes and fatalities. The theme for this year's observance is "Safe Roads, Prosperous Country - Bangladesh First," emphasizing the significance of road safety as a crucial component of the nation's development.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the observance comes amid ongoing concerns over road crashes, which result in thousands of deaths and numerous injuries each year. The government has drafted the Road Safety Act 2026, which proposes mandatory free emergency treatment for road crash victims, legal immunity for good Samaritans assisting people in need, a demerit point system for traffic violations, and double penalties for repeat offenders.
The proposed law, prepared by the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD), aims to create a comprehensive framework for preventing road crashes, protecting vulnerable road users, enhancing vehicle and road infrastructure safety, and ensuring prompt medical care for crash victims. Road Transport and Bridges, Railways, and Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam stated on October 14 that the government is committed to enacting a comprehensive road safety law by 2027.
Bangladesh had previously made this commitment at an international ministerial conference on road safety held in Marrakech, Morocco, in February 2025, pledging to enact a comprehensive law by 2027 in alignment with the global Safe System Approach. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that road crashes claim approximately 31,578 lives annually in Bangladesh. However, data from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) indicate that 5,490 people were killed in road crashes in 2025, a figure significantly lower than the WHO estimate.