7,364 students killed in road accidents in 7.5 years

A total of 7,364 students were killed in road accidents across the country between 2019 and June 2026, accounting for 15.11 percent of the total 48,713 road crash fatalities during this period. This information was highlighted in an observation report published by the Road Safety Foundation on Tuesday.

According to the report, among the deceased students, 3,328 were school and madrasa students aged 5 to 17, while 4,036 were college and university students aged 18 to 25. Analysis of the accident types shows that 3,841 students died as motorcycle riders or passengers, 1,923 as pedestrians, 927 as vehicle passengers, 519 as bicycle or rickshaw riders, and 154 died after their scarves or clothing got caught in auto-rickshaw wheels.

Road-wise statistics show the highest number of student deaths occurred on regional roads (2,149), followed by rural roads (1,947), urban roads (1,786), and national highways (1,482). The report noted that students aged 5 to 12 were mostly victims while commuting to school or playing near their homes, while motorcycle accidents were the leading cause of death among those aged 13 to 25.

The Road Safety Foundation also reported that 1,237 more students died during the same period after being hit by trains while crossing railway lines carelessly or walking on tracks with headphones on.

The organisation identified defective roads, unsafe vehicles, traffic law violations, lack of road safety education, reckless motorcycle riding and poor transport sector management as the main causes of the accidents. To address the situation, the foundation recommended regular road safety campaigns in educational institutions, teacher training, inclusion of road safety in the curriculum, banning unsafe vehicles and strict enforcement of laws to prevent underage motorcycle riding.

The report noted that despite a nationwide movement demanding safe roads following the deaths of two students in a bus accident on Dhaka's Airport Road in 2018, no effective discipline has been established in the transport sector even eight years later. The Road Safety Foundation said the lack of long-term planning, weak enforcement of laws and corruption and extortion in the transport sector have prevented significant improvement in the situation.