At least 1,16,726 people were killed and 1,65,021 injured in 67,890 road crashes between January 2014 and September this year, Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity said yesterday.

However, the organisation said the estimate was based on media reports and that hospital records suggest the actual number of casualties is several times higher.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Road Safety Network, a platform of eight organisations working for road safety, said the absence of a safe and people-friendly public transport system, weak and inadequate road infrastructure, lack of coordination among agencies, and deficits in transparency and accountability have led to a worrying rise in road crashes across the country.

Both organisations placed several recommendations, including the formation of a road transport reform commission and the development of multimodal transport systems to reduce pressure on roads, improve road safety, and reduce fatalities.

They organised separate press conferences at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday as the country prepares to observe National Road Safety Day today.

In his written speech, Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, secretary general of Jatri Kalyan Samity, blamed the previous Awami League government for widespread irregularities, corruption, mismanagement, extortion by transport owners and workers, and collusion with corrupt