Helmets imported at around Tk 250, sold for Tk 7,000

I went to the 60-foot road of Mirpur in Dhaka to buy a standard helmet. A vendor asked Tk 7,000 for a helmet from the well-known Spanish brand MT Helmets. He also said that better-quality helmets cost more than Tk 20,000, and some are priced as high as Tk 80,000.

This raised the question, why are even moderately good helmets so expensive? Inquiries at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) revealed that a company is importing MT brand helmets by declaring a price of just USD 2 per unit, around Tk 250. According to those concerned, under-invoicing (declaring a lower value) is being used to evade import duties.

Helmets save the lives of motorcyclists and passengers. The World Health Organization (WHO) published a road safety guideline for policymakers in 2023. Citing various studies, it noted that head injuries are a major cause of casualties in motorcycle accidents. Wearing a standard helmet reduces the risk of death by more than six times and lowers the risk of brain injury by 74 per cent.

While quality helmets save lives, Bangladesh’s helmet market is plagued by three types of irregularities. First, a large portion of helmets sold in the market are substandard. Helmets priced between Tk 150 and Tk 500 are essentially plastic caps.

Second, importers understate prices to evade taxes, putting compliant importers and local manufacturers at a disadvantage, while retail prices remain high. Third, the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) is responsible for testing helmet quality, yet helmets without BSTI certification are sold widely.

Saidur Rahman, executive director of the Bangladesh Road Safety Foundation, told Prothom Alo that motorcycle riders in cities tend to wear helmets, but passengers often do not. In districts and upazilas, helmet use is even lower. He added that many riders use what are essentially plastic caps rather than proper helmets.

According to NBR data, around 971,000 helmets were imported in 2024, and 1 million (10.19 lakh) in 2025. Majority of them came from India and China.

Customs data show that popular Indian brands such as Vega, Steelbird, Studds and Gliders are declared at import prices of just 2 to 3 US dollars (Tk 250–370) per unit.

In many cases, only “head safety gear” is mentioned, without specifying the brand. The same helmets retail for Tk 2,000 to Tk 5,000. Some importers, however, have declared prices of around USD 24 (Tk 2,940) per helmet.

The total duty and tax on helmet imports is 58 per cent. Those concerned say prices are under-declared to evade duties, with the remaining money transacted through illegal channels—effectively amounting to money laundering.

A report published on 26 March by the US-based organisation Global Financial Integrity (GFI) stated that Bangladesh saw illicit financial outflows equivalent to USD 68.3 billion (Tk 8.33 trillion) over the past decade through trade misinvoicing.

Domestic entrepreneurs are suffering due to duty evasion. Durable Plastics Limited has established a helmet manufacturing plant in the country. Its deputy managing director Md Toukirul Islam told Prothom Alo that under-invoicing is putting them at a competitive disadvantage. He also questioned whether helmet quality is properly assessed at the time of import.

Those concerned say stronger monitoring is needed to curb duty evasion. Customs has records of declared import prices, and those importing well-known brands at just 2 dollars should be investigated. A minimum assessment value should also be set.

Helmets are one of 315 products for which certification by Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) is mandatory. This means helmets must undergo quality testing before being imported or manufactured and must carry BSTI certification before being sold. However, most helmets in the market lack this certification.

Md Saiful Islam, director (CM) at BSTI, told Prothom Alo that the organisation has set up a Tk 80 million laboratory for helmet testing, which became operational late last year. Legally imported helmets cannot be sold without BSTI clearance, he said, adding that local manufacturers must also obtain licences.

Despite this, low-quality helmets continue to be sold at cheap prices. In many cases, international certification marks (such as ECE or DOT) are forged, making verification difficult.

According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), there are around 6.6 million registered vehicles in the country, including approximately 4.8 million (48.71 lakh) motorcycles—about 74 per cent of the total.

Data from the Bangladesh Road Safety Foundation show that in 2025, as many as 2,672 people were killed in 3,029 motorcycle accidents, accounting for 36 per cent of all deaths on roads.

Professor Md Hadiuzzaman of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) said that riders and passengers of two-wheelers face far greater risks than those in four-wheeled vehicles. Head injuries are very common in motorcycle accidents in Bangladesh.

The professor stressed the need to ensure the availability and use of standard helmets, adding that international-standard testing and stronger market monitoring are essential to ensure helmet quality.