Cargo ban during Eid

No heavy cargo except garments, fuel and perishables will be allowed on roads for three days before and two days after Eid, the communications minister has announced.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 11 July 2014, 12:40 PM
Updated : 11 July 2014, 02:02 PM

Obaidul Quader also said on Friday that Eid leave for all railway staff and key officials in the communications ministry and related departments had been cancelled.

The minister promised that all roads in the capital would be repaired by July 20.

Earlier, Quader attended an inter-ministry meeting on the acute traffic and communications problems ahead of Eid.

Earlier Quader attended an inter-ministry meeting on acute traffic and communications problems ahead of Eid.

He gave the order to repair all roads as soon as possible to relieve the suffering of home-bound people during Eid.

At the meeting, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police showed a video of the dire straits of Dhaka roads. Police said exit from and entry into the capital had to be smoothened in order to reduce the suffering of commuters.

Quader admitted that the roads were in a bad shape.

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan said the roads in the capital had to be freed from hawkers.

DMP Commissioner Benazir Ahmed said the road from Gulistan to Sadarghat would be cleared of hawkers starting from 10 days before Eid.

City corporation representatives promised to repair the roads in the city within the next 10 days.

WASA Chief Engineer Bajlur Rahman said the authorities had stopped all repair work in the city so as to prevent traffic jams.

Police Inspector General Hassan Mahmood Khandker said most roads are repaired with bricks and sand. “This gets ruined in rain, so we need to have backup material for immediate repairs.”

Highway Police said the four exits from the capital would be coordinated and special arrangements had been made at major points on all highways. A motorcycle mobile force has been assigned to check reckless overtaking.

In many points such as Savar Bazar and Baipail Bazar, shops and hawkers have been removed from the road. The highway police has been put on red alert to prevent extortion and warned not to harass people at checkpoints.

The communications minister said he would be going to Chittagong and the communications secretary to Mymensingh on Saturday to take a look at road conditions.

Railway Director General Tofazzal Hossain said special trains had been arranged for commuters during Eid.