The government is moving forward with its January 2024 initiative to introduce a new law aimed at improving road safety, as deadly road accidents continue to occur across the country.

According to officials, the upcoming law is expected to comprehensively address road safety concerns. While the Road Transport Act of 2018 is already in place following nationwide protests, it primarily focuses on transport owners, workers, and regulatory bodies. In contrast, the new legislation will be designed with road users in mind—passengers, pedestrians, and drivers.

Authorities noted that the proposed law would place special emphasis on the safety of women, children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities.

However, some road safety specialists have raised doubts about its effectiveness, arguing that enforcement of existing regulations is already weak. They suggest that strengthening institutional capacity, ensuring accountability, and improving governance would be more impactful than simply passing another law.

Responding to long-standing demands from campaigners, the Ministry of Road Transport launched the process on January 22, 2024, by setting up a nine-member committee tasked with drafting the legislation. A draft has since been submitted to the Road Transport and Highways Division under the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges.

On Monday, the division began reviewing the draft Road Safety Act 2025 during a meeting at its secretariat office. A committee member revealed that the draft consists of 15 chapters, including detailed provisions on the immediate transfer of accident victims to hospitals and compensation for victims’ families.

The member added that many sections overlap with the 2018 law, but the new act will specify when the older law is being referenced. At Monday’s meeting, it was also decided to expand the committee by including four additional members—one each from the Bangladesh Police and Dhaka Ahsania Mission, and two from academic institutions. Before the law is finalized, further inter-ministerial and stakeholder consultations will take place.

Earlier in 2024, the ministry had also formed a five-member subcommittee to prepare the draft. One member of that subcommittee, speaking anonymously, said that road safety had not been adequately addressed in the 2018 law. According to him, the new draft consolidates all relevant safety measures from different policies into a single comprehensive framework.

He acknowledged that the draft was initially expected to be completed in 2024 but faced delays. Sitangshu Shekhar Biswas, head of the subcommittee and director at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, confirmed that the draft had been submitted to the ministry and was now undergoing refinements.