TDS Desk:

The Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing has claimed that road reform is not possible without the enactment of a road safety law.

Speakers raised this demand in a workshop on the Global Safe System Approach held at the organization’s conference room in Dhaka’s Shyamoli on Monday last.

At the event, the young participants said that the number of injuries and deaths from road crashes in the country is increasing alarmingly. In the country’s recent economic context, the financial loss due to road crashes amounts to approximately 2.5% of the GDP.

According to the World Health Organization, road crashes are also one of the leading causes of death among people aged 5–29 years. Therefore, the Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing remarked that reforming road safety policies to prevent road crashes is now a demand of the time. They further stated that while the current government has undertaken various reform initiatives across sectors, it is crucial to include the formulation and implementation of road safety policies as part of these reforms to ensure the safety of everyone on the roads.

The workshop was conducted by Md. Monoarul Islam, Advocacy Officer at Dhaka Ahsania Mission, and attended by Md. Mukhlesur Rahman, Deputy Director of the organization. During the workshop, Estiak Emon, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Debate Federation, conducted a session on speed management on roads. Additionally, Sharmeen Rahman, Project Coordinator at Dhaka Ahsania Mission, discussed the importance of enacting a road safety law.

At the event, Marjana Muntaha, Coordinator of the Dhaka Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing, emphasized the importance of raising awareness through youth-led campaigns ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha. She also called on the government to give urgent attention to the demand for the enactment of a road safety law. Representatives from various youth forums were present at the workshop.