Safety advocates and senior journalists have called on authorities to immediately remove unfit vehicles from roads and highways to prevent deadly crashes during the upcoming Eid holiday rush.
The appeal made at a media discussion on road safety held Wednesday afternoon at the Health Sector meeting room of Dhaka Ahsania Mission in Dhaka's Shyamoli.
The event, titled The Mass Media Role in Road Safety, brought together reporters and experts who warned that travel risks typically spike during the festive period.
The keynote presenter, Sharmeen Rahman, Project Coordinator of the Health Sector of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, made several urgent recommendations to the government, saying that road crashes and fatalities during the Eid travel period have increased alarmingly in 2026 compared to 2025, once again bringing to the fore systemic weaknesses.
She said the situation could become direr if effective initiatives are not taken immediately to ensure safe Eid travel. Therefore, Dhaka Ahsania Mission emphasized controlling vehicle speeds on highways, stopping the movement of unfit vehicles, ensuring adequate rest for drivers, and operating mobile courts at key points.
Muhammad Jahangir Alam, General Secretary of the Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF) and Special Correspondent of United News of Bangladesh (UNB), stressed the importance of deploying an adequate number of highway police personnel to reduce road crashes. He also urged the government to ensure that unfit buses are not allowed to leave terminals.
Senior Reporter of The Daily Ittefaq, Jamiul Ahsan Shipu, said that long queues at toll plazas and bridges during Eid often create severe traffic congestion. To ease congestion, he recommended increasing the number of toll booths during Eid.
Aminul Islam, senior reporter of Daily Naya Diganta, stated that although many laws exist in the country, loopholes often allow offenders to escape punishment. He noted that the Road Transport Act also has several weaknesses, making effective enforcement difficult and hindering any significant reduction in road crashes.
Touhiduzzaman Tanmoy, Staff Correspondent of JagoNews24.com, emphasized the need for comprehensive follow-up reporting on road crashes.
The journalists also emphasized the importance of mandatory use of BSTI-approved helmets, limiting motorcycle passengers to two persons (including the rider), preventing reckless lane changing, designating the left lane for motorcycles on highways, and strengthening monitoring to curb dangerous overtaking. They further called for wider public awareness campaigns on road safety.
The journalists at the discussion emphasized that the sooner the government drafts and strictly enforces a comprehensive Road Safety Law based on the Safe Systems Approach, the faster road chaos and fatalities can be brought down. They urged the government to prioritize the immediate enactment and enforcement of such a law to ensure safer and more pleasant journeys during Eid and year-round.
