Bangladesh’s roads remain among the deadliest in the region, despite years of reform efforts and a multi-billion-taka national safety plan. Now, the interim government faces fresh pressure from transport leaders seeking to reduce penalties for reckless driving, raising alarm among road safety advocates who warn that weakening the law could undo years of progress.
The Road Transport Act 2018 was hailed as a breakthrough, introducing strict punishments for reckless driving and unfit vehicles after widespread student protests in 2018. But the new leadership of transport owners and workers is lobbying to relax penalties, proposing to reduce maximum prison terms from five to three years to make offences bailable.
The 2018 law, introduced after massive student protests, faced proposed 2024 amendments to reduce penalties, which stalled after the Hasina government fell. Now, under the interim government, opposition-linked transport leaders took over the sector and are now lobbying for softer punishments.
“When the prison term is five years it becomes non-bailable; if it’s three years, it becomes bailable,” said Saiful Alam, the secretary general of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association. “We want the crime to be bailable regardless of the verdict.”
Road Transport Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan told TIMES of Bangladesh that no decision had been made, but a draft amendment is being prepared. Experts warn that reducing penalties could weaken the deterrent effect of the law, leaving unsafe driving practices unchecked.
“If the law becomes toothless, people will exploit that knowingly — calculating that any penalty is an affordable cost,” said Professor Shamsul Hoque of BUET. “The problem it was meant to address will remain unresolved.”
At the same time, Bangladesh has invested heavily in road safety under the eighth Five Year Plan (2020–2025).
A total of Tk 64,300 crore (US$527 million), jointly funded by the government and World Bank, targeted safer roads, vehicles, and users. Interventions included intelligent transport systems, stricter driver training, expanded public transport, and pilot “safe corridors” on highways such as Gazipur–Elenga (N4) and Natore–Nawabganj (N6).
Despite the investment, fatalities continue to rise. According to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samiti (BJKS), 502 people died in September 2025 alone, compared to 392 in the same month in 2024. Between 2014 and September 2025, it recorded 116,726 deaths and 165,021 injuries nationwide. Motorcycles are among the deadliest vehicles, accounting for roughly one-third of accidents on major highways. Rural roads remain particularly hazardous, with poor visibility and nighttime crashes increasing risks.
Experts point to governance and structural failures as central to the crisis. Hoque highlighted poor accountability, sporadic project implementation, and misaligned planning as key factors, alongside reckless driving and unfit vehicles. “Importing policies without local adaptation contributes to failures; solutions must be country-specific,” he said.
Road safety campaigners note that accidents cannot be reduced solely by legislation. “Drivers are only the third cause of road accidents,” said Saidur Rahman, executive director of the Road Safety Foundation. “The first is management, the second is the vehicle itself. If owners put unfit buses on the road, drivers will still operate them to earn a living. Responsibility lies with owners as well.”
High-profile accidents highlight the ongoing risks. On 2 December 2024, a head-on collision in Savar killed at least three people. On December 20, a BUET student died when a car hit his motorcycle on the Purbachal Expressway. On January 8, 2025, a bus–ambulance collision caused multiple fatalities.
Despite rising budgets — from Tk 36,000 crore in FY2021 to a projected Tk53,360 crore in FY2025 — less than 10% of spending went to enforcement, education, and post-crash care, raising questions about priorities. Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, BJKS general secretary, noted that smaller vehicles like ride-sharing bikes and autorickshaws now carry more commuters due to the absence of modern public transport, adding to road risks.
Officials acknowledge systemic issues. Adviser Khan emphasized that legal action would follow proven negligence in accidents, calling persistent crashes a reflection of “systemic failure” and pledging accelerated reform. Md Anisur Rahman, DMP joint commissioner, cited stalled permits and irregular services as contributing to unsafe commuting on the Purbachal corridor.
Bangladesh’s road fatality rate of 18.6 deaths per 100,000 population exceeds global and regional averages, including India (14.6), Sri Lanka (11.5), and Nepal (28.2). Advocates stress that achieving national safety targets and UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 will require sustained investment, better institutional coordination, and context-specific policies.
As relaxing penalties is debated, road safety experts warn that any dilution of the 2018 law could undo hard-won reforms and perpetuate the cycle of accidents. For everyday commuters, the stakes remain life and death. “Daily travel is a dangerous gamble,” said Md Rashid, who commutes on the Purbachal corridor. Families continue to face loss and disruption, underscoring the urgent need for effective policy, strict enforcement, and accountable management.
