Bangladesh road accident deaths in 12 years exceed tolls from Israel-Palestine, Russia-Ukraine wars: Jatri Kalyan Samity

Over the past 12 years, more than 1.16 lakh people have died in road accidents in Bangladesh — a toll higher than the combined fatalities of the Israel-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine wars, the Jatri Kalyan Samity said today (21 October).

According to the Samity, corruption, irregularities and flawed government policies have turned Bangladesh's roads into "death traps."

Jatri Kalyan Samity's Secretary General Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury presented the figures at a press conference today at Dhaka Reporters' Unity, marking the National Road Safety Day.

He stated that between 2014 and September 2025, reports in various media outlets documented 67,890 road accidents that killed 116,726 people and injured 165,021. Hospital records suggest the actual numbers may be several times higher.

Mozammel also noted that before independence in 1971, 80% of people travelled by river and railway.

"Following donor‑driven prescriptions for road construction, looting and misguided policies, now 80% of people depend on roads. As a result, accidents have also increased by 80%," he said.

He alleged that in the past decade, extortion, corruption, the free movement of unfit vehicles, unlicensed and underage drivers, drug‑addicted drivers, and faulty roads have all contributed to turning the transport sector into a "death trap."

Mentioning Obaidul Quader, former road transport minister, Mozammel asserted that the former minister, despite holding the portfolio for more than ten years, was unable to establish order in the road transport sector. 

"The continued lack of necessary reforms in the ministry, the BRTA, and the traffic department has led to a persistent absence of improvement, irrespective of the change in government," he added.

Mozammel further warned that instead of taking initiatives for modern public transport, the interim government's move to register battery‑run auto‑rickshaws would soon paralyse Dhaka and Chattogram.

The Jatri Kalyan Samity also placed a set of recommendations to curb road accidents and improve transport services.

These include reintegrating lost river and rail routes with roads to build a coordinated transport network, introducing mass transit including underground metro rail in Dhaka, Chattogram and all divisional cities under government initiative, and carrying out comprehensive reforms in the transport sector to end extortion, corruption and the dominance of owners and workers. It urged the launch of dedicated high‑quality bus lanes and the deployment of standard buses from district to upazila level to build a strong nationwide bus network.

It also recommended establishing at least two bus rapid transit systems in each divisional city based on digital transactions, banning the import and marketing of motorcycles, battery‑run auto‑rickshaws and CNG auto‑rickshaws, and developing an advanced curriculum to provide state‑funded training for drivers.

The Samity said that traffic police operations should be digitised in line with developed countries and a traffic training academy should be set up.

It demanded that road accident cases be taken up under government initiative and that every victim be brought under compensation. It also called for passenger representation and participation in all decision‑making forums of the transport sector, enforcement of the rule of law in the road sector, and accountability of officials in responsible agencies.

It also stressed the need for separate lanes and safe footpaths for cyclists and pedestrians across the country.