Staff Correspondent:

Road Safety Foundation has identified a total of 314 upazilas and police station areas in the country as “road accident-prone” zones.

The foundation prepared the report after analysing data from around 37,000 road accidents over the past five years from 2020 to 2024, according to the organisation.

The report categorised the accident-prone areas into three groups: high-risk, highly accident-prone, and generally accident-prone. Among them, 21 areas have been marked as high-risk, 139 as highly accident-prone and 175 as generally accident-prone.

THE HIGH-RISK AREAS INCLUDE THE CAPITAL Dhaka, Gazipur, Tangail, Madaripur, Faridpur, Pabna, Bogura, Natore, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Chuadanga, Barishal, Habiganj and Mymensingh.

IN DHAKA, THE HIGH-RISK AREAS INCLUDE Dhaka Metropolitan, Dhamrai, Savar, Keraniganj, Manikganj, Gazipur Sadar, Tongi, Kaliakair, Kalihati and Madhupur in Tangail, Sonargaon and Rupganj in Narayanganj, Gajaria in Munshiganj, Raipura in Narsingdi, Bhairab in Kishoreganj, Jajira in Shariatpur, Faridpur Sadar and Bhanga, Kashiani in Gopalganj and Rajbari Sadar.

IN ADDITION, SEVERAL MORE AREAS IN Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur, Barishal, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions have been identified as highly accident-prone. These include Sitakunda, Mirsarai and Patiya in Chattogram; Sherpur in Bogura; Manda in Naogaon; Abhaynagar in Jashore; Dumuria in Khulna; Gournadi in Barishal; Trishal in Mymensingh and Madhabpur in Habiganj.

The list of 175 generally accident-prone areas includes almost all upazilas adjacent to major highways in the country. These include Nawabganj in Dhaka, Basail and Sakhipur in Tangail, Araihazar in Narayanganj, Boalmari in Faridpur, Pangsha in Rajbari, Banshkhali and Satkania in Chattogram, Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, Godagari in Rajshahi, Patnitala in Naogaon, Paikgachha in Khulna, Monirampur in Jashore, Badarganj in Rangpur, Babuganj in Barishal, Galachipa in Patuakhali, Ishwarganj in Mymensingh, Kendua in Netrokona and Companyganj in Sylhet.

The Road Safety Foundation report also highlighted several key reasons behind the increasing number of road accidents. These include flaws in road design and infrastructure, lack of essential safety measures, manpower and technological limitations in speed control, uncontrolled movement of different types of vehicles on the same road, lack of driver skills and unawareness among people living near roads.

The report also states that not all areas experience regular accidents, and only those locations with consistent accident trends have been included in this analysis.

According to the organisation, along with the development of road and highway infrastructure, the number and speed of vehicles have increased, gradually raising the risk of accidents.

Experts say the government now needs to formulate a safe and sustainable road transport strategy to tackle road fatalities. They also call for ensuring active participation of local communities, transport owners-workers’ associations and non-governmental organisations in its implementation.