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Repair roads right away PM directs communications ministry, assures it of quick fund; Dhaka-Mymensingh bus strike ends M Abul Kalam Azad and Hasan Jahid Tusher Expressing annoyance over poor conditions of highways, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the communications ministry to immediately repair all dilapidated highways so that home-bound people do not face any trouble during Eid travel. "Start repair work in full swing with the money you got. Necessary additional money will be given gradually," a source quoted her as saying to communications ministry officials during a meeting in her office on the conditions of the country's roads and highways. The meeting sources said Hasina asked the finance ministry to release the fund allocated for repair and maintenance of highways without much delay, and told the communications minister to make sure that the fund is used properly. The meeting was convened against the backdrop of transport strikes on various routes including Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways protesting the sorry state of the roads. Public transport owners however withdrew their strikes last night after Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain at a meeting assured them of repairing the highways on an urgent basis. Our Mymensingh correspondent reported that buses started operating on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway around 8:30pm yesterday. Negligence of the communications ministry is widely blamed for the situation that has caused a lot of disappointment among a cross-section of people. At the prime minister's meeting, Hasina also directed Bangladesh Railway officials to improve train services to give comfort to passengers during Eid travel. She told the railway officials to reserve one compartment in each passenger train for carrying commodity goods including vegetables, so supply chain to Dhaka markets remains smooth. Roads and Highway Department (RHD), and Bangladesh Railway gave separate presentations on the overall conditions of roads and highways, and the rail services across the country. The RHD presentation showed why and how the highways turned dilapidated. RHD officials told Hasina that repair work on some roads and highways were already done, but due to heavy rain they got damaged again. The PM asked them to repair those again properly. The officials blamed the last BNP-Jamaat alliance government and the immediate past caretaker government for the poor road conditions. Hasina asked the communications ministry to submit a report on its expenditure for construction, development, maintenance, renovation and repair of roads and highways since 2001, so it can be assessed what were done during the tenure of BNP-Jamaat alliance government and the caretaker government, and during the first half of the present government. After the meeting, PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters that the prime minister asked the communications ministry to deploy Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) buses on all highways of the country for convenience of the home-bound people during the Eid vacation. The ministry officials informed the prime minister that around 300 BRTC buses are running on various roads. PM's advisers HT Imam and Dr Mashiur Rahman, Principal Secretary MA Karim, PMO Secretary Mollah Waheeduzzaman, Finance Secretary Dr Mohammad Tareq, and Communications Secretary Md Mozammel Haque Khan were present at the meeting, among others. Meanwhile, Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain said Dhaka-Mymensingh highway will be made ready for transports in seven days. While visiting the highway yesterday afternoon, the minister's motorcade faced difficulty due to large potholes and water-logging at different portions, reported our Gazipur correspondent. Officer-in-charge of Maona Chourasta Highway Police Station said frequent traffic congestions happen on that highway as vehicles get stuck in the potholes. Contacted by The Daily Star last night Abul Hossain said, "We are going to hold a follow-up meeting at the ministry tomorrow to discuss how to expedite the repair work." He said some parts of Dhaka-Mymensingh highway are still under water. "We are planning to repair the places by removing the water," he said. About improving rail services, he said a new train, Rangpur Express, will be introduced on August 21 to transport more passengers ahead of the Eid. Besides, he said, four engines were added to the railway which will ease engine crisis and improve rail services on different routes. Leaves, holidays cancelled for road repair Star Online Report Leaves and holidays of the employees of Roads and Highways Department (RHD), the BRTC and the BRTA have been cancelled until further notice to expedite road repair works. The communications ministry issued the order Wednesday in the wake of growing public sufferings due to sorry state of the country's roads, especially the Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways. It ordered the executive engineers, officers and field workers of the RHD, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority to stay at construction sites where emergency and maintenance works are being carried out. The ministry suspended an engineer of the RHD, withdrew another and transferred a third one for negligence in their duties to oversee the accessibility of roads and highways under their jurisdiction. Fazle Rabbi, an executive engineer of Gazipur, was suspended and replaced by Sheikh Md Shafiqul Alam, an executive engineer of road design and standard department, a section of the RHD. Mofizul Islam, additional chief engineer of Rangpur Zone, has been attached to the RHD headquarters after his withdrawal. Mofizul was replaced by Md Shariful Islam, additional chief engineer of RHD headquarters. Arifur Rahman, superintendent engineer of Dhaka Zone, was transferred to Comilla Circle while superintendent engineer of Comilla Circle has replaced Arifur. Communications Minister Abul Hossain told The Daily Star that they took the steps against the engineers as they failed to repair and maintain different roads and highways in their respective jurisdictions. The conditions of the roads and highways would be better if they had worked properly, the minister added. The minister also expressed his hope saying that all the country’s roads and highways would be repaired before Eid-ul-Fitr if congenial weather prevails. The ministry also engaged several joint and deputy-secretaries to monitor the repair and maintenance work of the shabby roads and highways. Public transport owners earlier suspended operation of their vehicles on the two highways for several days due to the battered condition of the roads. The owners however withdrew their strikes Tuesday night after Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain at a meeting assured them of repairing the highways on an urgent basis. HC orders probe into early road damage Transport strike continues on Dhaka-Mymensingh, Dhaka-Tangail highways Star Report The High Court has directed the government to immediately form a committee to find out why the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway has become so damaged so soon. The order comes as bus service providers took their vehicles off the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka- Mymensingh highways indefinitely protesting the dilapidated condition of the roads. The court order was issued as Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed a writ in this connection following The Daily Star report "Impossible ride stop" on August 12. According to the HC directives, the committee would be comprised of professors of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet). The court also asked the government to submit an investigation report in six weeks. In addition to the miserable road conditions, the strike has put passengers into serious trouble ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. However, buses to the northern districts from Gabtoli in Dhaka and Tangail are operating. Bus services from Mohakhali in Dhaka to 12 districts have been disrupted due to the ongoing strike which entered its fourth day yesterday. Bus owners' association and workers union of Tangail jointly suspended the bus service to Dhaka on Saturday. Transport workers in Mymensingh called their strike on Thursday. Meanwhile, the district administration of Tangail yesterday held a meeting with the association and union leaders and requested them to resume bus services on local routes. "Now we will operate bus services on local routes in Tangail," said Mir Lutfor Rahman, general secretary of Tangail District Transport Workers Union. Bus services to the northern districts from Mohakhali and Mymensingh through Tangail have been suspended due to the horrible road conditions, he said. "Almost the entire Dhaka-Tangail highway is damaged and the situation is even worse in the Ashulia-Baipail stretch, in Konabari of Gazipur and Elenga in Tangail," said Lutfor. Inter-district buses run from Mohakhali to Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Jamalpur, Gazipur, Tangail, Sirajganj, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Bogra, Naogaon and other routs, he added. Of the 23 routs, vehicles to and from 16 northern districts use the Dhaka-Tangail highway. "We demand immediate repair of the damaged road," he said, adding, "The road not only damages vehicles but also cause frequent accidents." The associations in Tangail went on strike saying vehicular movement has become impossible on the 90-kilometre Elenga-Baipail road. The Dhaka-bound passengers from Mymensingh are facing great trouble due to the strike, reports our Mymensingh correspondent. The rush of passengers at
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