Road safety experts in Bangladesh have called for the establishment of a dedicated National Road Safety Authority equipped with strong powers and the enactment of a comprehensive Road Safety Act. The proposals aim to improve coordination among government agencies and reduce the country's high rate of road fatalities by half.
The recommendations were made during a roundtable discussion held Tuesday at the National Press Club in Dhaka. The event, titled "Road Safety Law: Current Context and Government Commitments," was organised by Nirapad Sarak Chai (NISCHA) as part of its month-long observance of Road Safety Day.
Shamsul Hoque, a civil engineering professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and a road safety specialist, emphasised the need to unite all transport-related ministries under a single government umbrella. He noted that, except for Bangladesh and India, most countries consolidate road, rail, water, aviation, and land transport oversight within one ministry to enhance enforcement, coordination, and policy implementation.
“Previous government initiatives, despite positive intentions, have largely fallen short due to interference from vested interests, which undermines laws and policies,” Hoque said. He advocated for measures that promote voluntary compliance alongside enforcement and stressed that government integration of transport ministries is critical to fulfilling both international commitments and electoral promises aimed at reducing accidents and bringing order to the transportation sector. Hoque added that Bangladesh has become internationally recognized for chaotic traffic systems and high road fatalities.
Global road safety specialist Taifur Rahman underscored the multifaceted nature of road safety, describing it as a multisectoral issue requiring a "safe-system" approach that spans legislation, infrastructure, and other relevant domains. Rahman highlighted the importance of accurate and comprehensive data collection to diagnose problems and design effective interventions—a practice common in many countries globally.
NISCHA Secretary General Liton Ershad presented a keynote paper detailing the rationale for the proposed Road Safety Act along with the safe-system framework, accident data collection protocols, the five pillars of road safety, and the roles various stakeholders must play to ensure successful implementation.
Speaking virtually from Canada, NISCHA founder and chairman Ilias Kanchan—whose speech was read by acting chairman Miriam Jolin Joy, his son—highlighted the organisation’s 33 years of public awareness campaigns, advocacy for accident prevention, and engagement with field-level data. Kanchan reaffirmed NISCHA’s commitment to collaborating with the government on reviewing the proposed legislation, incorporating stakeholder feedback, and monitoring progress on road safety initiatives.