Some 6,284 people were killed and 7,468 others injured in 5,371 road accidents across Bangladesh in 2021. As many as 84 per cent of the injured became physically crippled.
It means, on average, roughly 17 people died in road mishaps every day in the last year.
The devastating statistics were presented at a dialogue on 'Road Safety' organised by Bangladesh Initiatrives, Sebak and Drivers Training Centre at Sagar-Runi Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity on Friday.
Kazi Abul Al Ataiya, a researcher on road safety related issues, presented the keynote paper at the dialogue.
Participants in the dialogue attributed the road crashes to unfit vehicles, rash driving, lack of skill, mental and physical sickness, inadequate benefits for drivers, slow movement of vehicles on the highways, reckless bike ride by youths, improper traffic management system, and lack of awareness about traffic laws.