Road Accidents in Dhaka: From Anarchy to Despair
IT is deeply concerning that road accidents in the capital, Dhaka, have increased alarmingly.
According to the data revealed in a report by the non-governmental organisation ‘Road Safety Foundation’, published in a newspaper on Sunday, show that the number of accidents in Dhaka stood at 124 in 2020, whereas it reached 407 in 2025, representing more than a threefold increase.
The number of fatalities and injuries stood at 126 and 233 in 2020, whereas in 2025, the figures were 229 and 511, respectively.
Furthermore, in the first seven months of this year, the capital recorded 223 road accidents, resulting in 137 deaths and 356 injuries.
Clearly, unless prompt and effective measures are taken, the city could set new records in all these categories by the end of the year.
Incidentally, a recently published survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit has ranked Dhaka as the third least liveable city.
Dhaka also ranks lowest in South Asia on the 2026 Crime and Safety Index compiled by Numbeo, a global data-based organisation.
Alongside security concerns, the inadequacy of public transport is a reason why this city is losing its livability; yet, pedestrians here lack safety as well.
According to statistics, between January 1, 2020, and July 2026, 1,849 road accidents in this city resulted in 1,384 fatalities and 2,488 injuries.
Pedestrians accounted for the highest number of deaths-592, representing approximately 43 percent of the total fatalities-followed by motorcyclists, with 536 deaths (approximately 39 percent).
In fact, the mismanagement of vehicular traffic is primarily responsible for this state of anarchy on the roads.
Observations by the Road Safety Foundation indicate that, due to the absence of bypass roads, heavy freight vehicles operate recklessly within the capital-particularly between 10 PM and dawn.
Furthermore, prolonged exposure to traffic congestion breeds impatience and intolerance among drivers, with pedestrians attempting to cross the road bearing the brunt of this behavior.
An organisation monitoring accidents has reported that the highest number of fatalities in the capital over the past six years has occurred during nighttime hours.
Accidents have also risen recently due to the growing number of battery-operated rickshaws and motorcycles; these vehicles are being driven haphazardly, without regard for rules.
In fact, it can be said that the irresponsibility of the relevant regulatory bodies has given rise to this situation.
Unfortunately, the immediate past interim government and the current government have failed to take any effective steps to end the road anarchy in the capital, Dhaka.
Otherwise, there would have been at least some improvement in road safety in the city over the past two years.
