Bangladesh minister concedes failure to improve road traffic discipline

Despite hogging the limelight by his cross-country hopping, Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader has conceded failure to improve the level of road traffic discipline in Bangladesh.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 19 Sept 2016, 07:13 PM
Updated : 19 Sept 2016, 07:13 PM

Quader, who was inducted in the Cabinet four years ago, was interacting with the press at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity on Monday.

He said he had been able to improve road infrastructure marginally, but hardly minced words while conceding failure to improve road etiquette.

Expressing anguish that close to 50 lives had been lost in road traffic accidents during the Eid holidays, the minister said most of these incidents had been caused due to reckless driving rather than road conditions.

"Improved roads are inviting trouble now. People would drive slowly on broken roads in the past," he observed.

He is now seeking out ways to avoid these disasters.

Quader emphasised the need to find vehicles to substitute such modes of transport as auto-rickshaws and rickshaws.

The Awami League Presidium member blamed politically influential people who he said often did not care about the law and caused the anarchy on the road.

"Although the common man goes by the law, it is difficult to make the uncommon man to follow the law," he quipped.

He said vital infrastructural projects like the Dhaka Metrorail project, the Padma Bridge and the Karnaphuli tunnel are going ahead at an encouraging pace.

No pressure for snap polls

Despite the BNP’s call for snap elections, the government is under no pressure to comply, Quader said.

"Why should we beg for votes?" he wondered.

Taking a jibe at the BNP he said, "Neither have they been able to stir up a mass movement of the 90s, nor have they even managed to organise a rally with 500 people.

“Why, then, should we go begging and make a mockery of everything?"

He added that there was no pressure either from inside or outside the country to yield to the BNP’s call for early elections.