Bangladesh witnessed 7,902 people die and 10,372 people get injured in road accidents across the country last year. These statistics are, unfortunately, nothing shocking anymore, given just how lax the government has become when it comes to matters of road safety.
Recently, the Bangabandhu Tunnel in Chittagong has had a multi-vehicle crash that has left at least five vehicles damaged and several injuries. Furthermore, a van-auto collision in Comilla left five people dead and two others injured. As such, to say that we are off to a bad start when it comes to making our roads safer in the year 2024 would be an understatement.
Ceaseless road accidents have long plagued our nation, and while a number of factors have been identified over the years -- including the unwillingness of drivers to observe safety rules and the system’s inability to bring culprits of road accidents to justice -- not a whole lot has been done to rectify these issues. In fact, official efforts to curb these accidents such as the redesign of roads have only added to public frustration and further exacerbated other problems like traffic jams.
Essentially, the missing piece is our lack of coordination between the different departments responsible for making our roads safer, and a worrying lack of any strategies. The authorities need to take stock of the entire traffic situation and formulate intuitive solutions which, instead of obstructing travel, would instead enhance it, acting as an incentive for people to follow the rules and regulations. Needless to say, those who flout these rules need to be brought to justice.
An analysis of past incidents reveals that bus and trucks are the major culprits behind road accidents, and due to the political clout backing these culprits, they generally get away with impunity.
This cannot be allowed to go on any longer.
Road accidents have essentially become a part and parcel of our national identity. But it’s a part of our identity we need to eradicate, there are no two ways about it.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
