This year’s theme is “Safe Roads, Prosperous Country – Bangladesh First,” highlighting the importance of road safety as an integral part of the country’s development.
Representational Image. Photo: Collected
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Representational Image. Photo: Collected
Today marks National Road Safety Day (22 October), with renewed calls for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, safer roads and coordinated efforts to reduce road crashes and fatalities.
This year’s theme is “Safe Roads, Prosperous Country – Bangladesh First,” highlighting the importance of road safety as an integral part of the country’s development.
The observance comes amid persistent concerns over road crashes, which claim thousands of lives and leave many others injured every year.
The government has already prepared the draft Road Safety Act 2026, proposing mandatory free emergency treatment for road crash victims, legal immunity for good Samaritans who assist people in need, a demerit point system for traffic violations and double penalties for repeat offenders.
Prepared by the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD), the proposed law aims to establish a comprehensive framework to prevent road crashes, protect vulnerable road users, improve vehicle and road infrastructure safety, and ensure prompt medical care for crash victims.
Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam said on 14 October that the government was committed to enacting a comprehensive road safety law by 2027.
Bangladesh pledged at an international ministerial conference on road safety in Marrakech, Morocco, in February 2025, to enact a comprehensive road safety law by 2027 in line with the global Safe System Approach.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), road crashes claim around 31,578 lives annually in Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) data show that 5,490 people were killed in road crashes in 2025, nearly six times fewer than the WHO estimate.
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