Over 2,500 died travelling to or from educational institutions.
Eight people, including four children, died when a private car fell into a roadside canal in Pirojpur. Photo: TBS
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Eight people, including four children, died when a private car fell into a roadside canal in Pirojpur. Photo: TBS
A total of 7,963 children were killed in road crashes across Bangladesh between 2020 and September 2026, with rural roads accounting for the highest number of deaths, according to findings released by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF) today (21 October).
The foundation prepared the report using information from nine national dailies, 17 national and regional online news portals, electronic media and its own data, reads a press release.
The report found that 2,513 children, or nearly one-third of the total, were killed while travelling to or from educational institutions. Another 962 children died while playing on roads near their homes.
Of the 7,963 children killed, 2,958 (37.14%) were riding motorcycles, either as drivers or passengers, while 2,812 (35.31%) were hit by vehicles while walking along or crossing roads. The remaining 2,193 (27.53%) were passengers in other types of vehicles.
Among the 2,812 children killed while walking or crossing roads, 1,271 were hit by three-wheelers, including CNG-run autorickshaws and locally made vehicles such as Nasimons and Bhotbhotis. These vehicles accounted for 45.19% of all child pedestrian deaths.
Another 1,126 child pedestrians (40.04%) were killed after being hit by heavy vehicles, including buses, trucks, covered vans and pickups. Cars, microbuses, ambulances and jeeps killed 317 children (11.27%), while motorcycles killed 98 (3.48%).
The report also analysed the types of roads where the 7,963 children were killed. Rural roads accounted for the highest number of deaths at 2,713 (34.07%), followed by regional roads with 2,082 (26.14%). Another 1,974 children (24.78%) were killed on highways and 1,194 (15%) on urban roads.
An age-based analysis of all child fatalities showed that 3,547 children (44.54%) were aged 13-17, making them the largest group. Another 2,884 (36.21%) were aged 6-12, while 1,532 (19.23%) were aged five or younger.
The RSF also analysed child deaths by time of day. According to its findings, the highest number of children, 2,634 (33.07%), were killed in the afternoon, followed by 2,168 (27.22%) in the morning and 1,813 (22.76%) at midday.
Another 598 children were killed at night, 546 in the evening and 204 at dawn.
The foundation identified several factors behind the deaths, including roads and transport systems that are unsafe for children, a lack of road safety awareness and inadequate guidance from families and educational institutions.
It also cited vehicles being driven by unskilled and underage drivers, inadequate treatment facilities for injured children and families’ inability to afford medical care.
The RSF said children were particularly vulnerable on rural roads because these often run close to residential areas. Vehicles frequently operate on such roads without following traffic rules, while law enforcement agencies have little presence to regulate traffic.
The foundation also expressed concern over what it described as a lack of attention from government authorities and inadequate public awareness about children’s road safety.
In its recommendations, the RSF called for making roads and transport systems safer for children, providing road safety education at home and in educational institutions, and taking strict action against unskilled and underage drivers.
It also urged the government to improve treatment facilities at district hospitals, establish a special fund to cover medical expenses for road crash victims and ensure implementation of the Road Transport Act 2018.
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