At least 1,384 people were killed and 2,488 others injured in 1,849 road accidents across Dhaka between January 2020 and July 2026, with pedestrians and motorcyclists accounting for more than 80 per cent of the fatalities, according to the Bangladesh Road Safety Foundation (RSF).
The findings, released by the RSF today, show that 1,034 men (74.71 per cent), 219 women (15.82 per cent) and 131 children (9.46 per cent) lost their lives in road crashes during the six-and-a-half-year period.
Pedestrians were the worst affected group, with 592 deaths, representing 42.77 per cent of the total fatalities. Motorcyclists followed closely, accounting for 536 deaths (38.72 per cent). Another 256 drivers and passengers travelling in buses, rickshaws, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and other vehicles were also killed.
More than one-third of fatal crashes occur at night
The report found that more than one-third of all road deaths in Dhaka occurred at night, when 519 people (37.5 per cent) were killed.
Morning crashes claimed 258 lives (18.64 per cent), followed by the afternoon with 195 deaths (14.08 per cent), evening 174 (12.57 per cent), dawn 142 (10.26 per cent) and nightfall 96 (6.93 per cent).
Heavy vehicles involved in one-third of accidents
Heavy vehicles—including trucks, covered vans, pickups, tankers and garbage trucks—were involved in 33.25 per cent of the accidents, making them the largest contributing vehicle category.
Motorcycles accounted for 26 per cent of the crashes, followed by buses (21.75 per cent), auto-rickshaws, CNG-run vehicles and legunas (12.73 per cent), while private cars, microbuses and jeeps were involved in 6.25 per cent of incidents.
According to the RSF, the lack of bypass roads forces heavy goods vehicles to travel through the capital between 10:00pm and dawn, often at high speed, increasing the risk of fatal collisions, particularly for pedestrians crossing roads.
The report also identified chronic traffic congestion as a major factor behind aggressive driving and risky behaviour, which significantly increases the likelihood of crashes.
Road capacity, poor infrastructure behind rising death tollThe foundation attributed the high number of accidents to inadequate road capacity amid the growing number of vehicles, the mixing of slow- and high-speed traffic on the same roads, encroached footpaths, poorly designed or inaccessible footbridges, and a lack of road safety awareness among motorists and pedestrians.
The report identified Jatrabari, Demra, Mohammadpur, Kuril, Biswaroad and Airport Road as the capital's major road accident hotspots.
RSF calls for transport reforms
To improve road safety, the RSF recommended introducing company-based bus operations through route rationalisation to bring greater discipline to the public transport sector.
It also urged stronger coordination among the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), the two Dhaka city corporations and the traffic police to implement comprehensive road safety measures and reduce fatalities in the capital.
