The latest report by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF) presents a grim and deeply disturbing picture of road safety in Bangladesh. Between 2019 and June 2026, 7,364 students lost their lives in road crashes, accounting for more than 15 per cent of all road fatalities during the period. These are not merely statistics; they represent shattered families, unfulfilled dreams, and an enormous loss to the nation's future. Every student killed on the road is a reminder that ensuring road safety is not only a transport issue but also a moral and national responsibility.
The report highlights several alarming trends. More than half of the student victims were riding motorcycles or travelling as pillion passengers, while younger children were particularly vulnerable as pedestrians on their way to school or while playing near their homes. Rural and regional roads witnessed the highest number of fatalities, exposing the dangerous condition of road infrastructure and the lack of effective traffic management outside major cities. The tragic deaths of 1,237 students on railway tracks during the same period further underline the urgent need for comprehensive transport safety measures.
The causes behind these deaths are well known. Defective roads, unsafe vehicles, reckless driving, poor enforcement of traffic laws, underage motorcycle riding, and inadequate road safety education have together created a deadly environment. Weak governance in the transport sector and the influence of vested interests have prevented meaningful reforms despite repeated promises. The annual rise in student fatalities until 2022 clearly demonstrated that existing measures were insufficient, and although the numbers have slightly declined since then, they remain unacceptably high.
Eight years have passed since the nationwide Safe Roads Movement that followed the tragic deaths of two students from Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College. The movement awakened the nation and demanded accountability, discipline, and lasting reforms. Unfortunately, many of those aspirations remain unfulfilled. Committees have been formed, recommendations have been drafted, and discussions have been held, but implementation has been slow and inconsistent. Without sustained political commitment and strict enforcement, road safety will continue to remain an elusive goal.
Bangladesh must now move beyond symbolic responses and adopt a comprehensive national road safety strategy. Road safety education should become a compulsory part of the school curriculum, while regular awareness campaigns should reach students, parents, drivers, transport workers, and pedestrians alike. Driving licences must be issued through a transparent and rigorous process, unsafe vehicles must be removed from the roads, and traffic laws should be enforced without exception. Special attention should be given to improving safety around schools and colleges through pedestrian crossings, speed control measures, and proper traffic supervision.
No country has completely eliminated road accidents, but many have succeeded in significantly reducing them through effective policies, better infrastructure, and strict law enforcement. Bangladesh can achieve the same if it demonstrates the necessary political will and administrative efficiency. We may not be able to prevent every accident, but we can certainly save thousands of lives by taking timely and appropriate action. The lives of our students—and indeed every citizen—are too precious to be lost on our roads. The time for promises has passed; the time for decisive action is now.
