Adilur Rahman Khan, Honorable Advisor, Ministry of Industries and Ministry of Housing & Public works has pledged to enact a road safety law in Bangladesh. He made this commitment last night (February 19) at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, held from February 18 to 20 in Marrakesh, Morocco.
A road safety law will be enacted in Bangladesh by 2027. The government has already started working on this initiative. Additionally, Bangladesh has a National Road Safety Strategic Action Plan aimed at reducing road crushes fatalities by 50% within 2030.
The government has repeated the importance of taking continuous steps to achieve the 2030 targets, particularly Goals 3.6 and 11.2, and has acknowledged the role of road safety in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 11. To fulfill these commitments, the Bangladesh government is making pledges at the international level.
By 2027, Bangladesh will finalize and approve its first National Road Safety Law, which will be developed following the Safe System Approach.
Bangladesh will establish a central data-driven database system by 2026, where information related to road crushes will be collected, stored, and analyzed. By 2026, a speed management guideline will be developed, ensuring the effective implementation of the 2024 Motor Vehicle Speed Limit Guidelines. A guideline for the implementation and enforcement of the use of standard helmets will also be formed by 2026.
Dr. Mohammed Ziaul Haque, Additional Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division, Mr. Syed Moinul Hasan, Chief Engineer of the Road and Highways Department, Ms. Najnin Hossain, Director, Enforcement, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Mr. Taifur Rahman, Manager of the Global Road Safety Advocacy and Grants Program, Dr. Shariful Alam, Country Coordinator of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Mr. Elias Kanchon, Founder and Chairman of “Nirapod Sarak Chai” (NISCHA), Mr. Khalid Mahmud, Road Safety Program Manager of BRAC, Dr. Selim Mahmud Chowdhury from CIPRB, along with representatives from the current interim government and various private organizations from Bangladesh, participated in the conference.
Currently, there is no specific law or regulation regarding road safety in the country. Therefore, the government has decided to prioritize this issue and enact a road safety law by 2027.
On the other hand, Marjana Muntaha, Coordinator of the Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing, and Abu Jafar, Communication Officer of the Department of Pathology and Research at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, participated in the Third World Youth Conference. During the event, they highlighted the activities of youth in Bangladesh for safer roads.