Tens of thousands students blocked roads protesting for a ninth day to demand safer roads after a bus hit two teenagers. Ongoing public protests in Bangladesh advocating improved road safety began on 29 July 2018. They were sparked by the deaths of two college students in Dhaka struck by a bus operated by an unlicensed driver racing another to collect passengers first. The incident impelled students to demand safer roads and stricter traffic laws. The demonstrations rapidly spread throughout the country. Various international organizations and renowned personalities expressed solidarity with the protests.
Though the protests were largely peaceful, the situation worsened on 4 August when police and the student wing of the governing Bangladesh Awami League began attacking protesters and journalists. The government arrested several protesters and a photographer for giving an interview about the protests to international media. A new traffic act was formulated and approved by the third Sheikh Hasina Cabinet on 6 August that proposed capital punishment for intentional killing and five years prison for accidental killing with a motor vehicle. Many deemed the 5 years maximum sentence for accidental deaths due to reckless driving as too light. The government received widespread criticism from international bodies for using the law enforcer and allied wings of the government party to attack the young student protesters and journalists.
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