Nearly 8,000 children were killed in road accidents across Bangladesh between 2020 and September 2026, with teenagers and motorcyclists accounting for the largest shares of fatalities, according to the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).
A total of 7,963 children lost their lives during the period, highlighting serious concerns over road safety, unsafe transport systems and inadequate awareness of traffic rules.
The report was compiled using information from nine national newspapers, 17 national and regional online news portals, electronic media and the foundation’s own data.
Children aged 13 to 17 accounted for 3,547 deaths, or 44.54 per cent of the total, making them the most affected age group, the RSF report said.
Motorcycle-related incidents were the leading category of child fatalities, claiming 2,958 lives, or 37.14 per cent. Another 2,812 children, representing 35.31 per cent, were killed while walking along roads or crossing them after being hit by vehicles.
Rural roads recorded the highest number of child fatalities, with 2,713 deaths, representing 34.07 percent of the total, the report said.
The report also found that 2,513 children were killed while travelling to or from educational institutions, while 962 died while playing on roads near their homes.
The RSF attributed the deaths to several factors, including unsafe road infrastructure, poor road safety awareness, unskilled and underage drivers, inadequate medical facilities and families’ inability to afford treatment.
The foundation called for safer roads and transport systems, stronger road safety education at home and in schools, and strict action against unskilled and underage drivers.
It also recommended improving district-level hospitals’ capacity to treat accident victims, establishing a government fund to cover treatment costs and ensuring enforcement of the Road Transport Act 2018.
