Roadcrash is one of the main causes of death and injury in Bangladesh; Which in turn is causing huge pressure on the economy and health sector. According to BRTA data, on an average, about 5,000 people die every year in the country and more than 10,000 are injured and crippled to various degrees. But according to the World Health Organization this number is several times higher (approximately 31,578 people) and this number is increasing day by day.
In this situation, the speakers demanded the formulation of a new integrated road safety law in the light of the safe system approach to reduce preventable deaths on the roads.
The speakers said this in a seminar titled ‘Road Safety and Sustainable Transport System: Mainstreaming a Development Agenda in Public Policy’ at the DIU-SANPA-IOM International Conference 2024 organized at a hotel in the capital on Sunday (October 27) afternoon.
Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) in-country coordinator Dr. Under the chairmanship of Shariful Alam, the main paper was presented by Global Road Safety Partnership IFRC Manager Grants Taifur Rahman. He said, road crashes are preventable. According to the World Health Organization, 1.19 million people die every year and 50 million people are injured in various degrees. Developed countries have reduced the number of road casualties by following the Safe Systems Approach developed by the United Nations.
He also said that due to the lack of laws on road safety in Bangladesh, the authorities have to speed up the enforcement of laws in various areas. Which is playing a direct role in increasing the number of casualties in road crashes day by day.
Professor Sohel Reza Chowdhury, Head of Pathology and Research Department of National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, Ilyas Kanchan, Chairman of Safe Road Chai-Nischa, Professor of Rajshahi University were present as speakers in the seminar. Shafiul Islam, Step Towards Development Executive Director Ranjan Karmkar, Health and Welfare Sector Director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Iqbal Masud and Associate Professor of Dhaka International University. Bazlur Rahman.
Discussants in the seminar pointed out some shortcomings of the current road transport law and said that there is no specific guidance on post-roadcrash management. At the same time, there is no scientific method for collecting data on road crashes. They also said that ensuring safe roads is not the sole task of a ministry or a department. It requires the active and coordinated participation of many ministries and government departments; To ensure this, it is important to appoint a lead agency recognized by the legal framework.
In the changing political situation, the Bangladesh government has initiated reforms in various fields. In continuation of this, the speaker expressed the opinion that necessary reforms should be brought in the field of road safety in order to reduce the number of casualties on the roads.
The speakers demanded to ensure the representation of Bangladesh in the Global Road Safety Conference to be held in Marrakesh, Morocco in February next year. Along with this, Road Safety Coalition Bangladesh assured that the concerned government will be fully supported.