Road Accidents Claim 360 Student Lives in Six Months

A total of 360 students were killed and 109 others injured in 320 road accidents across Bangladesh during the first six months of the year. The alarming figures were released in a press statement today by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger welfare platform. The disclosure coincides with the 15th anniversary of the Mirsharai road tragedy, one of the most devastating transport disasters in the history of the country.

Reflecting on the statistics, Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, the Secretary-General of the association, emphasised that educating students on road safety could lay the foundation for orderly citizenship and safer transport networks. He expressed regret that despite the recurring loss of life, there are still no institutionalised awareness programmes involving students, teachers, and guardians to prevent a recurrence of past disasters. Consequently, hundreds of youngsters continue to lose their lives, sustain critical injuries, or face permanent disability each year.

The historical context of this report dates back to 11 July 2011, when a mini-truck carrying schoolboys lost control and plunged into a roadside ditch in Mirsharai, Chattogram. The crash resulted in the deaths of 45 students, marking it as a dark milestone in national transport history. Chowdhury noted that even such a monumental tragedy failed to prompt the implementation of effective, state-backed safety campaigns, leading to the sustained casualties observed today.

Data compiled by the welfare organisation reveals the monthly distribution of student casualties from January to June. In January, 57 road accidents claimed the lives of 57 students and left 22 injured. February saw 39 incidents, resulting in 47 fatalities and 11 injuries. The situation worsened in March, with 59 recorded accidents causing 67 deaths and one injury. April registered 51 accidents, 56 fatalities, and 25 injuries. May marked the deadliest month of the period, with 73 students killed and 23 injured in 61 separate crashes. Finally, June recorded 53 accidents, leading to 60 deaths and 27 injuries.

To curb this relentless loss of life, the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity has put forward five urgent recommendations for the authorities. The platform advises incorporating road safety lessons directly into the national school curriculum. It also suggests that educational institutions should host mandatory safety awareness seminars at least once a month. Furthermore, the association recommends installing visible zebra crossings and warning signs on national and regional highways, particularly in front of schools. To ensure safe crossings, they propose appointing dedicated ‘Road Safety Guards’ and establishing active school safety committees comprising both teachers and students.