No drivers without licence will be allowed on highways around Eid, says home minister

No-one will be allowed to drive on the highways without professional licence in the days before and immediately after the Eid-ul-Fitr in order to avoid road mishaps, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said.

Traffic will be closely watched to keep unlicensed drivers away, the minister said while briefing the media in Dhaka on Sunday about security and safety measures taken for the festival.

"The risk of road accidents has increased due to the unskilled drivers. To tackle the danger, unlicensed drivers will not be allowed to drive on the highways. We will also monitor strictly if anyone tries to charge additional fares."  

"Security measures will be taken considering everything around the Eid," he said.

The Buddha Purnima was held peacefully without any occurrence “despite many rumours”, the minister said.

“We hope the same for the Eid celebrations,” he added.

Several banks will be open until Jun 4 so that RMG workers and Eid shoppers can draw money, Kamal noted.

“Security measures have been tightened at the terminals, markets, shopping malls, Eidgah and other places ahead of Eid,” the minister said. 

"A large number of CCTV cameras have been installed in several industrial zones to tackle violence. Additional safety measures have also been taken in several diplomatic zones," he added.

Chiefs of police, coast guard, and other top law enforcement officials were also present during the briefing.