DHAKA, July 31, 2020 (BSS) – Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said none will be spared if found involved in extortion in the name of National Morning Day which is observed on August 15 to recall the martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“The month of mourning, August, is beginning tomorrow. When the month of mourning comes, the occurrence of seasonal extortions increases but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has a firm stance against it. None will be spared for any kind of extortion or irregularities,” he said.
Quader, also Awami League general secretary, was addressing a view-exchange on the Eid preparation joining it online from his official residence in the city with Rangpur road zone, BRTC and BRTA officials.
The minister called upon the home-goers to wear facemasks mandatorily and abide by the health guidelines properly remaining cautious at the highest level to check the spread of the deadly coronavirus (Covid-19).
Quader said though the government has taken measures one after another to make Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) profitable, it has been stuck in the circle of loss.
He urged all concerned to take the BRTC out of the vicious circle of irregularities to make it profitable.
The minister gave directives to make coordination among the transport owners and workers to administer routes to enhance the standard of BRTC services and stop irregularities.
Mentioning allegations of irregularities against Rangpur BRTA, he said audacity of brokers must be stopped and none will be spared in case of irregularities.
He asked the law enforcement agencies to intensify their efforts further to safeguard the home goers from the grasp of ‘molom party’ and other miscreants to make the people’s Eid journey safe and smooth.
Quader said directives have been extended to government employees to stay at their work areas during this Eid-ul-Azha.
The minister said this time Eid-ul-Azha is being celebrated in a different context as the country is witnessing the spikes of Covid-19 along with the floods.
He said the government employees should not show relaxation in their works in the wake of the Covid-19 and floods and if required, they would have to work on the day of Eid as well.
The minister asked the law enforcement agencies including range, highway and district police and other concerned to work in unison to check road accidents during the return journey after the celebration of Eid-ul-Azha, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslim community.
He said this time no major problem was seen in vehicular movement and there was no traffic congestion on highways but the ferry movement at major ghats remains slow due to rise of water in river Padma causing the vehicles to wait.
The minister said Sheikh Hasina’s government has put much emphasis on road infrastructural development in Rangpur region and initial preparations have begun to upgrade several roads to four-lane along with the implementing of SASEC-2 or South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation-2 programme.
He gave directives to all concerned to keep all roads and highways suitable for vehicular movement round the clock and if any hole is created on roads, it should immediately be repaired.