A total of 7,963 children were killed in road accidents across Bangladesh between 2020 and September 2026, highlighting the risks children face due to poor road management and inadequate awareness of traffic rules, according to a report by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).
The report was prepared using information published in nine national dailies, 17 national and regional online news portals, electronic media, and data collected by the foundation.
An analysis of the fatalities showed that 2,958 children, or 37.1%, were killed while riding or driving motorcycles, while 2,812, or 35.3%, died as pedestrians after being hit by vehicles while crossing or walking along roads.
Among child pedestrians killed in road accidents, three-wheelers — including CNG-run autorickshaws, autorickshaws and locally made vehicles such as Nasimons and Bhotbhotis — accounted for the highest number of deaths at 1,271, or 45.2%.
Heavy vehicles, including buses, trucks, covered vans and pickups, were responsible for 1,126 pedestrian child deaths, or 40.04%, while private cars, microbuses, ambulances and jeeps accounted for 317 deaths, or 11.3%.
An analysis of the types of roads where children were killed found that rural roads accounted for the highest number of fatalities, with 2,713 children, or 34.07%, dying in accidents on such roads.
Regional roads accounted for 2,082 deaths, or 26.14%, highways for 1,974, or 24.8%, and urban roads for 1,194, or 15%.
By age group, children aged 13-17 accounted for the largest share of fatalities, with 3,547 deaths, or 44.54%. A total of 2,884 children aged 6-12, or 36.2%, and 1,532 children aged 0-5, or 19.2%, were also killed.
The report said 2,513 children, or 31.5%, were killed while travelling to or from educational institutions, while 962, or 12.08%, died while playing on roads near their homes.
The RSF identified several factors behind the high number of child fatalities, including roads and transport systems that are not designed with children's safety in mind, inadequate awareness among children about safe road use, and a lack of proper guidance and training at home and in educational institutions.
Other contributing factors included driving by unskilled and underage drivers, inadequate medical facilities for injured children, and families' inability to afford treatment.
The foundation said children were particularly vulnerable on rural roads, which often run close to residential areas.
Vehicles on these roads frequently operate without following traffic rules, while the presence of law enforcement agencies to regulate traffic remains limited, it said.
The report also noted that children's lack of knowledge about road safety further increases their vulnerability and expressed concern over what it described as inadequate attention from both the relevant government authorities and the public.
The foundation warned that children were being killed or left permanently disabled under these unsafe conditions, causing an irreparable loss to the nation.