Published : 15 Nov 2026, 04:36 PM
Updated : 15 Nov 2026, 04:44 PM
A chaotic road can do more than cause crashes; it can leave foreign visitors with a lasting impression of Bangladesh, says transport leader and Pabna-5 MP Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas.
Drawing on five decades in the transport sector, Shimul said visitors travelling from the airport to the Secretariat or commercial establishments often encounter disorder and obstacles that leave them with a poor impression of the country.
“One accident can mean a lifetime of tears,” he said. “The chaos and hurdles that those who come from abroad for investment, trade or tourism see on the way from the airport to the Secretariat or any commercial establishment truly create a shameful and mournful image of our country.
“They then go back and make negative comments about our country, not about any government or party.”
Speaking at a road safety roundtable in Dhaka on Sunday, Shimul said the prime minister was sincere about restoring discipline and wanted a qualitative change in Bangladesh.
He recalled the premier spending seven hours with transport stakeholders and reiterating the importance of road safety after returning from Japan.
Shimul also flagged the growing number of battery-run rickshaws on Dhaka’s streets, saying an estimated 3-4 million unemployed young men had taken up the work.
He questioned how they could be removed without alternative livelihoods, while noting the anger when drivers were picked up.
He said the same drivers and passengers obeyed rules inside cantonments but often ignored them on ordinary roads, underscoring the need for both enforcement and public awareness.
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Secretary General Habibur Rahman Khan said 80-90 percent of road crash victims came from poor families, with surviving dependents often facing lifelong hardship. Disability and lasting injuries affect even more people, he said.
He blamed unsafe vehicles, faulty roads, mixed-speed traffic and driver fatigue, calling for comprehensive road safety laws and insurance compensation. Mob attacks on drivers must also stop, he said, as fear of beatings prompts them to flee.
The Red Crescent has 800,000 volunteers across 68 units ready to assist traffic and highway police, he added.
The discussion was organised by Road Safety Coalition Bangladesh, the National Heart Foundation and the Red Crescent.
