Staff Correspondent

“The current government is firmly committed to enacting a comprehensive road safety law by 2027 and is sincerely working to take prompt initiatives in this regard. In line with national and global commitments, the government is also undertaking various measures, including updating helmet standards, enforcing speed limits and developing relevant guidelines, strengthening post-crash care and medical services, constructing underpasses, initiating projects to develop dedicated left-side lanes on highways, regulating road crossings by school and college students, and improving road safety data management.”

Sheikh Robiul Alam, MP, Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, Railways, and Shipping of the Government of Bangladesh, made these remarks as the Chief Guest at a roundtable discussion jointly organized by BRAC's Road Safety Programme (Global Road Safety Partnership - GRSP Project) and Road Safety Coalition Bangladesh (RSCB) at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday, 14 October 2026.

The roundtable, titled “Government's Commitment to Improving Road Safety in Bangladesh,” was organized to observe National Road Safety Day 2026, under this year's theme, “Safe Roads, Prosperous Country, Bangladesh First.”

 The primary objective of the discussion was to highlight the government's commitments made at national and international forums to improve road safety, review recent progress, and identify future priorities for reducing road crash fatalities and injuries in line with the Safe System Approach, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and national development plans.

The event was attended by distinguished Special Guests, including Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Labour and Employment; Dr. Mohammed Ziaul Haque, Secretary, Road Transport and Highways Division; and Mr. Sharaf Uddin Ahmad Chowdhury, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles and Jute.

Chief Guest, Sheikh Robiul Alam, MP, stated that although the government, the World Bank, and numerous other organizations are working on road safety, the desired progress has not yet been achieved due to a lack of coordinated efforts. He observed that the tendency to neglect personal safety also puts others at risk. He emphasized that road safety initiatives should not be limited to the observance of specific days but should continue throughout the year. To achieve the target of halving road crash fatalities by 2030, he stressed the need for collective action involving the government, non-governmental organizations, development partners, transport owners' and workers' associations, and all other relevant stakeholders.

Speaking as a Special Guest, Mr. Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, MP, emphasized that significant changes in Bangladesh's existing road transport management system have become essential. He noted that the country's unsafe road management practices have caused widespread suffering, often leading different groups to blame one another.

Special Guest, Dr. Mohammed Ziaul Haque, Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division, said, road safety is a major priority in the current government's election manifesto, which is also reflected in this year's National Road Safety Day theme. He noted that road safety considerations are being prioritized in every development project. He further highlighted that the government is giving serious attention to driver training, healthcare, wages, benefits, and other aspects of drivers' welfare.

The programme began with welcome and introductory remarks by Mr. Ahmed Nazmul Hussain, Director of BRAC's Road Safety Programme. This was followed by a PowerPoint presentation by Mr. M. Khalid Mahmud, Programme Manager of BRAC's Road Safety Programme, who highlighted the current road safety situation in Bangladesh, the government's commitments, recent progress, and key policy priorities requiring greater attention, including the enactment of a comprehensive road safety law.

During the open discussion session, participants exchanged views on the formulation of a comprehensive road safety law, effective enforcement of existing laws and regulations, and the adoption of coordinated measures based on the Safe System Approach to reduce road crash fatalities and serious injuries. The discussion emphasized the importance of safe road infrastructure, effective speed management, safer vehicles, protection of road users, and improvements in emergency response and post-crash medical care.

Participants also discussed the importance of implementing the Safe System Approach, which is based on the principle that deaths and serious injuries resulting from road crashes are preventable. The approach recognizes that responsibility for ensuring road safety does not rest solely with individual road users. Rather, it is a shared responsibility involving policymakers, road authorities, transport operators, law enforcement agencies, the health sector, and all other relevant stakeholders.

The roundtable was also attended by representatives of member organizations of Road Safety Coalition Bangladesh, senior officials of the Road Transport and Highways Division, officials from the Cabinet Division, Police and Directorate General of Health Services, representatives of the World Bank and World Health Organization, university faculty members and researchers, road safety experts, media professionals, and the Country Coordinator of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), among others.

The roundtable concluded with a strong emphasis on the need for coordinated and effective measures, including the enactment of a comprehensive road safety law, to make Bangladesh's road transport system safer for all.