‘Bangladesh Road Safety Meeting’ held
16 April 2025, Dhaka, Bangladesh: Speakers urged to address road safety through data driven interventions to reduce road crashes in Dhaka, Chattogram and all over the country. Therefore, credible data systems, comprehensive road safety law, effective enforcement, addressing speeding, seatbelt, standard helmet use, create safer road design and organize comprehensive mass media campaigns are needed to reduce road traffic fatalities. Speakers made the remark at the ‘Bangladesh Road Safety Meeting’ held in a hotel in Dhaka today. Road Transport and Highway Division (RTHD), Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) jointly organized this event in collaboration with the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) and Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP).
In the inaugural session of this daylong meeting, Md Ehsanul Haque, Senior Secretary of RTHD spoke as chief guest. Kelly Larson, Director of Bloomberg Philanthropies, Abu Sayed Md. Kamruzzaman, Chief Executive Officer of DNCC, Md. Sarwar, Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) of DMP, SM Tauhidul Islam, CEO of CCC, Taifur Rahman of Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) were special guests. The program was moderated by Mr. Md. Abdul Wadud, Initiative Coordinator of BIGRS, Dhaka.
Md Ehsanul Haque, Senior Secretary of RTHD reiterated the government’s commitment to create a comprehensive road safety law based on the principles of Safe System Approach. Our government is drafting the law with engaging GO-NGOs stakeholders. We thank our international partners for their support and sharing international best practices. We hope in coming days we will be able to make more positive changes in relation to road safety in Bangladesh.
Kelly Larson said that Bloomberg Philanthropies through BIGRS, is working on road safety to save lives in 27 locations in world. Dhaka and Chattogram joined in this initiative in 2020. Both cities are working with international partners to make the roads safer. The government notified speed limit guidelines that set maximum national speed of 80kmph in alignment with global best practices.
Abu Sayed Md. Kamruzzaman, CEO of DNCC informed that under BIGRS initiative and technical support from WRI, DNCC completed the Safe School Zone at Banani and Safer Neighborhood projects at Mohammadpur intersection. Moreover, 160 city planners and engineers of DNCC were trained in safer road design. Md. Sarwar, Additional Police Commissioner of DMP said that DMP is collaborating with DNCC and shared its road crash data to analyze high-risk situations and collaborated with GRSP to organize training for police on various road safety issues.
Representatives from DNCC and CCC highlighted recent progress in identifying road-crash spots and redesigning high-risk intersections, installing speed-limiting measures, improving pedestrian infrastructure, engaging journalists and media in both cities. Both DMP and CMP collaborated with GRSP and trained police officers on enforcement and speeding. In the meeting, DNCC and DMP jointly launched the Road Safety Situation in Dhaka North based on road crash data report 2023. The report shows 117 fatal crashes in 2023 claimed 123 lives within DNCC jurisdiction. Among the victims 61% were pedestrians followed by 24% bikers. The report recommends the authorities ensure pedestrian-friendly road infrastructures in the city, ensure the use of standard helmets and reduce speeding of motor vehicles and enforce laws.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders from the government, national and international organizations to assess progress and outline a strategic path forward in reducing road crashes and saving lives on Bangladesh’s roads. Among others, Dr. Shariful Alam of Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), Dipan Bose of World Bank’s Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF), Dr. Watin Alam of World Health Organization, Mr. Iliyas Kanchan of Nirapad Sarak Chai, Dr. Salim Mahmud Chowdhury of Center for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh (CIPRB), Brett Harman of GRSP, Aminul Islam Sujon of Vital Strategies, Farzana Islam of WRI, Dr. Tanvir Ibne Ali, Surveillance Coordinator of BIGRS-Dhaka, Mamunur Rahman, Senior Road Safety Specialist of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) shared their activities.
Participants agreed on the importance of continued investment in evidence-based interventions, improved coordination among agencies, and the need for enhanced public engagement to foster a culture of road safety.
Representatives from various national and international organizations including the RTHD, BRTA, DNCC, CCC, DMP, CMP, DTCA, World Bank, WHO, Vital Strategies, GRSP, WRI, Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit (JHIIRU), Bangladesh Road Safety Coalition, Accident Research Institute (ARI) and BIGRS Dhaka and Chattogram team attended in the meeting.
In the closing session, Grant Ennis, Deputy Director of Vital Strategies, Dr. M Ziaul Haque, Additional Secretary of RTHD, Sitangshu Shekhar Biswas, Director (Road Safety) of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Lievanta Millar, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Asfiquzzaman, Additional Police Commissioner of CMP spoke.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to scale up proven road safety solutions and work collectively toward a safer, more resilient transport system in Bangladesh.