Road crashes claim 22 lives every day

At least 86,690 people were killed and 1,53,257 injured in 62,619 road crashes across the country over the last 11 years, Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity said yesterday.

This means, on average, 22 people lost their lives and 38 were injured on the roads every day during this period.

Citing a World Bank estimate, the organisation also said unbearable traffic congestion in the capital alone leads to a daily loss of 3.2 million working hours, amounting to an annual economic loss of Tk 98,000 crore.

Against this backdrop, the Samity urged political parties contesting the upcoming national election to include concrete plans to reduce traffic congestion and curb the yearly loss of thousands of lives on the roads through the introduction of modern public transport in their manifestos.

The appeal was made by Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, secretary general of the Samity, at a discussion marking "Passenger Rights Day" at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity.

Citing health experts, he warned that beyond financial losses, long hours in traffic take a serious toll on physical and mental health.

He added that the Road Transport Act-2018 failed to address road crashes, congestion, and indiscipline in the sector, as the voices of passengers and civil society had been ignored during its formulation.

Due to the lack of modern mass transit, small vehicles such as ride-sharing motorcycles, e-bikes, and auto-rickshaws have become the primary means of transport, while 56 percent of people are compelled to rely on private vehicles, he said.

Corruption and flawed policies under successive governments, he added, have spread traffic congestion from cities and ports to rural areas.

Mozammel also criticised the interim government for failing to initiate any reforms in the road sector despite the sacrifices of thousands of students and citizens during the July uprising for a "New Bangladesh".

According to the Samity's data, 2022 recorded the highest casualties, with 9,951 killed and 12,356 injured in 6,749 crashes. In 2024, 8,583 people were killed and 12,608 injured in 6,259 crashes.

The Samity gathered the data from media reports. The actual number of casualties in road crashes could be much higher since many incidents remain unreported.

The organisation put the total death toll from road crashes in 2021 to 7,809. But the World Health Organization said 31,578 were killed in road crashes that year -- four times higher than the Samity's count and six times than the official count of police.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Mozammel said such staggering numbers expose the failure of those who led the road transport and bridges ministry over the past decade.

He alleged that ministers lacked technical knowledge and vision, while politically affiliated transport association leaders abused their power, perpetuating chaos and further eroding road safety.

He recalled that the previous government had also promised to improve road safety in its election manifesto but failed to deliver.

He urged that political parties coming to power must not only make pledges but also take tangible steps to reduce deaths and injuries on the country's roads.