At the launch of a youth campaign marking the 8th UN Global Road Safety Week on Sunday, speakers in Dhaka strongly advocated for the formulation of a dedicated Road Safety Act to ensure safer streets, especially for pedestrians and cyclists.
Organized by the Dhaka Ahsania Mission, the event highlighted the alarming statistic from the World Health Organization (WHO) that over 50% of global road fatalities involve vulnerable road users such as walkers, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
Sharmeen Rahman, Road Safety Project Coordinator, emphasized in her keynote that safe infrastructure and legal frameworks are essential to encourage walking and cycling, especially in congested cities like Dhaka, where traffic jams cost valuable working hours daily.
DTCA Executive Director Neelima Akhter, the event’s chief guest, noted the health and environmental benefits of non-motorized transport and stressed the need for collaboration between government, civil society, and youth to achieve long-term improvements in road safety.
Dhaka Ahsania Mission President Prof. Golam Rahman, who presided over the event, urged the government to prioritize walkable, cycle-friendly urban development in its transport strategies.
The event also featured contributions from road safety experts, transport association leaders, media professionals, and youth activists. At the conclusion, young participants presented a memorandum demanding immediate action on a Road Safety Act, symbolizing growing public concern for safer, more inclusive urban mobility.
