Play store
Urmi Group has launched a distinctive road-safety initiative by displaying drawings made by drivers’ children on the company’s trucks, covered vans and pickup vehicles, carrying a simple message: drive carefully and return home safely.
Thousands of trucks, covered vans and pickup vehicles are used every day to transport goods for industries across Bangladesh, including the ready-made garment sector. According to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) data from 2023, of the 7,837 vehicles involved in road accidents, 1,389 were trucks and covered vans, while another 370 were pickup vehicles. Together, they accounted for around 22 percent of the total.
Against this backdrop, Urmi Group has introduced the initiative to encourage greater road-safety awareness among its drivers.
The vehicles used to transport the Group’s products now carry drawings made by drivers’ children, along with short messages addressed to their fathers. While some drawings depict family life, others simply express a child’s love for their father. At the heart of every picture is the same message: “Dad, drive carefully and come home safely at the end of the day.”
The initiative was inspired by the “Children’s Museum Project” of Japanese transport company Miyata Unyu. Following a fatal road accident, the company began displaying drawings by drivers’ children on its trucks. The company later reported that accidents declined by around 40 percent over the following six years after children’s artwork was displayed on 87 vehicles. In 2019, the initiative evolved into an independent organisation and subsequently spread to other companies across Japan.
Bangladesh has a long tradition of displaying paintings, phrases and different forms of artwork on the back of trucks and other commercial vehicles. Urmi Group is now using that familiar space to create a more personal connection between drivers and their families.
The Group also believes the drawings can convey a human message to other drivers and road users, reminding them that behind every steering wheel is a person with a family waiting for them at home.
Asif Ashraf, managing director of Urmi Group, said the initiative had a personal resonance for him after he experienced it firsthand during a seminar in Japan.
“During a seminar in Japan, I had the opportunity to experience this initiative firsthand, and the idea resonated with me personally. A child’s drawing can serve as a constant reminder to a driver that there is a family waiting for him to return home safely,” he said.
Inspired by the idea, the Group initially introduced the initiative on a small number of its vehicles and observed a positive impact. Based on that experience, it has now decided to expand the programme across its transport operations.
“Bangladesh’s export-oriented ready-made garment industry supports the livelihoods of nearly four million people and their families. I would personally encourage other organisations in the RMG sector to consider similar initiatives,” Ashraf said.
“If an effort that begins within our industry gradually spreads to other organisations and sectors across the country, together we can help build a more safety-conscious and humane culture on our roads,” he added.
Urmi Group said the initiative was undertaken as part of its responsibility as a private-sector organisation, alongside the government’s broader road-safety efforts.
The programme is also part of the Group’s ongoing efforts to strengthen driver awareness and personal responsibility, while placing greater emphasis on employee safety and deeper engagement with their families.