Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) emphasized the need of a new road safety law in line with UN Safe System Approach. Keynote presenter Iqbal Masud, Director, Health and WASH Sector of DAM has said that the enactment of Road Safety Law is essential as part of overall development in the road. To observe the National Road Safety Day 2024, DAM organize a discussion meeting on Monday on 21 October 2024, Monday at 11.30 am at meeting room of Health Sector, DAM, Shyamoli, Dhaka says a press release.
The keynote presenter said that according WHO, the road crashes are one of the leading causes of death for people aged five to 29 years. Every year 31 thousand 578 people die in road crash in Bangladesh. Road crash deaths were 15.3 per lakh in 2016 and increased to 18.6 per lakh in 2021. He also said that the current government has undertaken various reforms in the country. DAM urged to the present government for the formulation and implementation of road safety related policies in this reform period.
National Institute of Traumatology & Orthopaedlc Rehabilitation’s (NITOR’s) Unit Chief Professor Dr. Md. Jahangir Alam, the Senior Reporter of Daily Ittefaq Jamiul Ahsan Shipu and Road Safety Project Coordinator of DAM Sharmeen Rahman were the other speakers of the meeting. The meeting was moderated by Shubhra Dev, Senior Reporter of Daily Manabzamin.
The Speakers at the meeting also said that Bangladesh must significantly reduce the number of preventable road crashes, deaths and injuries in order to halve the number of road crash deaths and injuries as per the Sustainable Development Goals and the targets of UN Global Plan. This requires appropriate strong policy and legal framework. Currently, “Road Transport Act 2018” and “Road Transport Rules-2022” are in force, but there has been no improvement in road safety. On the other hand, a committee has been formed to formulate a separate law on road safety, but it is now at a standstill. The government should now activate this committee again and enact road safety legislation at the earliest.
