National highways turn deadly as road fatalities surge

Bangladesh’s national highways are increasingly being viewed as death traps, with a sharp rise in fatal road accidents claiming thousands of lives each year.

A combination of weak enforcement of road safety laws, lack of awareness, unfit vehicles and reckless speeding has turned major highways into high-risk corridors. Over the past five years alone, 35,174 people have been killed in road accidents, while at least 59,985 others have been injured, many left permanently disabled.

Alarming rise in accidents and casualties

Data analysis shows a significant surge in road crashes and fatalities in recent years. Between 2021 and 2025, accidents on national highways increased by 34%, while those on regional roads rose by around 72%.

During the same period, fatalities increased by 17%, and injuries soared by 120%. Of the total deaths, 36% occurred on national highways and 37% on regional roads. Buses, trucks and motorcycles accounted for the majority of accidents.

A substantial proportion of the victims were economically active youth or sole earners of their families, raising concerns about long-term socio-economic consequences.

Experts attribute the worsening situation to reckless speeding, poor enforcement of traffic laws, unfit vehicles, and unsafe movement of motorcycles and slow-moving traffic such as CNG auto-rickshaws and locally made vehicles like ‘nasimon’ and ‘karimon’ on highways.

Infrastructure deficiencies have also been cited as a major factor. Despite long-standing identification of these issues, effective measures remain limited.

Experts warn that without immediate and strict intervention, the situation could deteriorate further. Strengthening law enforcement, restoring discipline on roads and raising public awareness are seen as critical to reversing the trend.

Highways dominate accident statistics

According to the Road Safety Foundation’s annual reports for 2021–2025, a total of 33,622 accidents were recorded nationwide during the period.

Of these, 12,038 occurred on national highways, 12,363 on regional roads, 5,070 on rural roads, and 3,808 on urban roads.

Professor Md Hadiuzzaman, former director of the Accident Research Institute at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), said highways have become the centre of accidents due to flawed planning.

“Massive investments have been made to increase speed without addressing underlying risks,” he said.

“Highways have expanded, expressways are being built, but driver training has not improved. Suitable vehicles are not being introduced, while even rickshaws are using highways. All risk factors remain in place, yet no meaningful change has been made in management. As a result, accidents and fatalities are not decreasing.”

Key contributing factors

The Road Safety Foundation identified several major causes behind the accidents, including defective and unfit vehicles, reckless speeding, overloading, driver incompetence and health issues, the absence of regulated wages and working hours for drivers, inadequate road infrastructure, the presence of slow-moving vehicles on highways, reckless motorcycle riding by youths, poor awareness and disregard for traffic laws, and a weak traffic management system.

Experts emphasise that without comprehensive reforms and strict enforcement, Bangladesh’s highways will continue to pose a serious threat to public safety.

Source: Bangladesh Pratidin