Minister urges stakeholder cooperation to improve road safety by 2027.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam today called upon all stakeholders to come forward to ensure road safety as invaluable lives are being lost every day on roads.
"We are not denying our responsibility. We always want to stay accountable. Cooperation from all stakeholders is a must to ensure road safety," he told a discussion at Tejgaon's Sarak Bhaban here marking National Road Safety Day 2026.
Alam said reckless and careless driving, unfit vehicle, carelessness of pedestrians as well as faulty roads, and negligence of other stakeholders including traffic police are the major reasons for road crashes.
He urged all concerned associations as well as experts to extend cooperation to the authorities to ensure road safety.
"We want suggestions and cooperation from all to ensure road safety," he said.
He mentioned government's firm commitment in enacting a comprehensive road safety law by 2027.
Alam also mentioned Bangladesh's pledge at the United Nations to halve road crashes deaths and injuries by 2030.
Alam said the government has been taking initiatives to ensure road safety as various measures were taken including updating helmet standards, enforcing speed limits, strengthening post-crash medical care, constructing underpasses, building left-side lanes on highways and improving road safety data management.
He said the World Bank and various other organisations were working to ensure road safety.
"However, despite the collective efforts, the desired progress had not been achieved. A lack of coordinated initiatives and insufficient awareness about personal safety were making the situation more complicated," he added.
State Minister Habibur Rashid, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Labour and Employment Ministry Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, MP, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Road Transport and Bridges Rakibul Islam also spoke as special guests.
Experts, academics and leaders and members of road transport workers and owners associations also joined the event.
National Road Safety Day was October 22 which was a holiday that is why the authorities organized programmes marking the day.
