Roads and highways in Dhaka, and indeed in all of Bangladesh, remain incredibly prone to danger, and it matters little whether you are inside a vehicle or a passerby trying to cross the road.
Now, four years after the historic student-led movement that demanded safer roads -- prompted by the untimely death of school students -- the status quo has remained unchanged. With today being National Road Safety Day, it is high time we as a country took stock of exactly why we just cannot seem to shake off this most distressing of national issues.
More than 3,500 road accidents were recorded this August alone, with at least 600 people dead and nearly 3,000 more injured. Some of the leading causes of such accidents are a lack of bike lanes and other managerial misconduct; however, it is clear that there are much bigger issues at play here.
At the core of such lethal accidents are reckless motorists, often without licenses, who have no business operating vehicles such as buses and trucks. These drivers, and indeed those who hire them without proper verification, continue to enjoy impunity, and it is average law-abiding citizens who pay the ultimate price, either with life or limb.
Around three years ago, when the first National Road Safety day was observed, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had expressed how the government would be doubling down on strengthening road safety alongside meaningful development of the country’s road transport system.
While the latter part has proven to be true, clearly the number of accidents observed on a nigh daily basis points to a complete lack of progress in the former.
Road accidents are entirely avoidable, we simply need stronger, more concrete action from the authorities to stop them from occurring.
