DOCSLIB.ORG

Repair Roads Right Away

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Repair Roads Right Away 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
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Issue Paper BANGLADESH POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS DECEMBER 1996-APRIL 1998 May 1998
    Issue Papers, Extended Responses and Country Fact Sheets file:///C:/Documents and Settings/brendelt/Desktop/temp rir/POLITICAL... Français Home Contact Us Help Search canada.gc.ca Issue Papers, Extended Responses and Country Fact Sheets Home Issue Paper BANGLADESH POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS DECEMBER 1996-APRIL 1998 May 1998 Disclaimer This document was prepared by the Research Directorate of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada on the basis of publicly available information, analysis and comment. All sources are cited. This document is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed or conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. For further information on current developments, please contact the Research Directorate. Table of Contents MAP GLOSSARY 1. INTRODUCTION 2. KEY POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS 2.1 Prosecution of 1975 Coup Leaders 2.2 Ganges Water Sharing Agreement 2.3 General Strikes and Restrictions on Rallies 2.4 Elections 2.5 Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Treaty 3. LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS 3.1 Law Reform Commission 3.2 Judicial Reform 1 of 27 9/16/2013 3:57 PM Issue Papers, Extended Responses and Country Fact Sheets file:///C:/Documents and Settings/brendelt/Desktop/temp rir/POLITICAL... 3.3 National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) 3.4 Special Powers Act (SPA) 4. OPPOSITION PARTIES 4.1 Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) 4.2 Jatiya Party (JP) 4.3 Jamaat-e-Islami (Jamaat) 5. FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS REFERENCES MAP See original. Source: UNHCR Refworld
    [Show full text]
  • Issue Paper BANGLADESH POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS and POLITICAL VIOLENCE December 1996
    Issue Papers, Extended Responses and Country Fact Sheets Page 1 of 25 Français Home Contact Us Help Search canada.gc.ca Issue Papers, Extended Responses and Country Fact Sheets Home Issue Paper BANGLADESH POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE December 1996 Disclaimer This document was prepared by the Research Directorate of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada on the basis of publicly available information, analysis and comment. All sources are cited. This document is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed or conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. For further information on current developments, please contact the Research Directorate. Table of Contents MAP GLOSSARY 1. INTRODUCTION 2. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE 2.1 Events Leading Up to the 15 February 1996 General Election 2.2 The 15 February 1996 General Election 2.3 The Non -Cooperation Movement 2.4 The Caretaker Government 2.5 The 12 June 1996 General Election 2.6 Events Following the 12 June 1996 General Election 3. FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS APPENDIX I: GOVERNMENT MINISTERS (as of 29 June 1996) http://www2.irb -cisr.gc.ca/en/research/publications/index_e.htm?docid=118&cid=0& ... 28.05.2009 Issue Papers, Extended Responses and Country Fact Sheets Page 2 of 25 APPENDIX II: NOTES ON SOURCES REFERENCES MAP See original. Source: EIU Country Profile: Bangladesh 1995-96 , 23. GLOSSARY AL Awami League BCL Bangladesh Chhatra League (Awami League student wing) BDR Bangladesh Rifles BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party (Jatiyatabadi Dal) BSEHR Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights CCHRB Coordinating Council for Human Rights in Bangladesh FEMA Fair Election Monitoring Alliance ICS Islami Chhatra Shibir (Jamaat-e-Islami student wing) JAGPA Jatiya Ganatantrik Party JCD Jatiyabadi Chhatra Dal (BNP student wing) JI Jamaat-e-Islami JP Jatiya Party JSD Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal LDF Left Democratic Front 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Business and Politics in the Muslim World Asia Reports
    BUSINESS AND POLITICS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD ASIA REPORTS First Quarter 2009 Volume: 2. No.-1 Reports of February, 2009 Table of contents Reports for the month of February Week-1 February 04, 2009 03 Week-2 February 11, 2009 336 Country profiles Sources 2 BUSINESS AND POLITICS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD ASIA REPORT February 04, 2009 Nadia Tasleem: Report on Asia 04 Ashia Rehman: Report on Fertile Crescent 20 Madiha Kaukub: Report on GCC 61 Tatheer Zehra: Report on South East Asia 82 Ghashia Kayani: Report on South Asia 145 Sadia Khanum: Report on India 318 3 BUSINESS AND POLITICS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD SOUTH & EAST ASIA and GCC & Fertile Crescent Nadia Tasleem Weekly Report from 26 December 2008 to 30 January 2009 Presentation: 4 February 2009 This report is based on the review of news items focusing on political, economic, social and geo‐ strategic developments in various regions namely; South Asia, East Asia, GCC and Fertile Crescent from 26 December 2008 to 30 January 2009 as have been collected by interns. Summary South Asia: Political Front: After winning 9th Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, 258 members from winning coalition sworn in as MPs on 3 January 2009; three days later, leader of Awami League Sheikh Haseena Wajid took oath as new Premier of Bangladesh on 6 January 2009. Later on first Parliamentary session was held on 25 January that was not being attended by opposition party i.e. BNP. Besides that Upazila elections finally held on 22 January amidst few incidents of clashes. Though election in six upazila got cancelled however took place successfully in rest of the 475 upazila areas under strong security arrangements as almost 5 lakh security persons were deployed all across the country.
    [Show full text]
  • Political Communication in Bangladesh: the Use of Vile Language
    Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Hum.), Vol. 59(2), 2014, pp. 305-321 POLITICAL COMMUNICATION IN BANGLADESH: THE USE OF VILE LANGUAGE G.M. Shahidul Alam* Abstract Politicians often use emotional appeals to the people as a weapon to gain political objectives, either personal, or for the party they represent, or both. This paper takes a look at the quality of, and civility in, political communication in Bangladesh between 1991 and 2014, a period during which the country has experienced parliamentary democracy as its system of government. Using specific examples of such communication by elected legislators, as well as by prime ministers, both inside the parliament during legislative proceedings, and outside of it, this paper examines whether the use of such language indeed has any impact, positive or negative, on the electorate. Evidence suggests a stark deterioration in the quality of, and civility in, political communication in the country since 1991. Such decline is at least a reflection of the manifestation of the deteriorating political culture, which, unless checked, and rolled back, could adversely affect the development of Bangladesh towards political maturity. Introduction Sean Richey poses a pertinent question regarding a possible correlation between politicians’ use of a particular strategy and public response to it: “Can politicians use emotional appeals to stimulate and activate latent personality traits in the public?”1 He cites several authors who have concluded that emotional appeals are used as political weapons.2 The essence of politics is human interaction. Politics and communication go hand in hand because they are essential parts of human nature.
    [Show full text]
  • Parliament Watch – Bangladesh
    PARLIAMENT WATCH – BANGLADESH 2009 1 A Report on the Proceedings of the Ninth Parliament of Bangladesh (First, Second and Third Session) January 2009 – November 2009 Irfath Ara Iva SAHR Bangladesh 2 Background & Objective: Following national elections in Bangladesh held on 28 th December 2008, the first session of the Ninth Parliament was convened on 25 th January 2009. The objectives of SAHR’s Parliament Watch are to examine the legislations enacted for the implications for human rights of citizens, transparency and accountability of government, the parliamentary system and responsibilities of the executive in ensuring the rule of law and human rights. Legislative process in the First session of the Ninth Parliament: Between the dissolution of the Eighth Parliament and the commencement of the Ninth Parliament, the President promulgated 122 Ordinances in accordance with Article 93 of the Constitution. The Parliament constituted an expert group to examine the Ordinances and to recommend their ratification and enactment within 30 days of the formation of the new parliament, which was a constitutional obligation. Notable among the Acts passed during the session were the following: the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2009; Money-laundering Prevention Act, 2009; Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009; Right to Information Act, 2009; Consumer Protection Act, 2009; and the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2009 . On the other hand, a number of ordinances which would have a vital effect on ensuring transparency, good governance and protecting human rights were kept pending, including the Anti-Corruption Commission (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2007; National Human Rights Commission Ordinance, 2007; Public Procurement Act (Amendment), 2007 and the Mobile Court Ordinance, 2007 .
    [Show full text]
  • BANGLADESH: Rulers Establish an Illusion of Rule of Law and Democracy to Deprive People by All Means
    The State of Human Rights in Bangladesh in 2011 AHRC-SPR-003-2011 BANGLADESH: Rulers establish an illusion of rule of law and democracy to deprive people by all means Introduction: An Illusion of Rule of Law and Democracy Bangladesh celebrates her fortieth year of Independence from Pakistan this year with an elected government in power for three years now after two years of a military-controlled emergency regime. Prior to the last general election the Bangladesh Awami League, like all other political parties of the country, made a huge number of pledges before the public, some of them written in the election manifesto while many other made in rhetorical speeches by the top leaders, including Sheikh Hasina, the incumbent Prime Minister. The nation continued its culture of political polarization between the ruling and the opposition groups by blaming each other for the country's woes, as the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) exposed in its reports in the previous years, paving the way for the perpetrators to violate the fundamental human rights of the countrymen unabatedly. There has been no required development as far as the democratization and the establishment of the rule of law is concerned. Moreover, the recurrence of gross abuse of human rights such as enforced disappearances, deprivation of right to life by extrajudicial methods – killing suspects in the pretext of crossfire and encounter and torturing detainees to death while in the custody of the state agents, not only continued but have increased alarmingly. There have been a number of incidents where the police captured persons on suspicion and offered them to a mob for lynching instead of producing them before a magistrate or investigating as to whether the person was innocent or not.
    [Show full text]
  • Issue Paper BANGLADESH POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS and POLITICAL VIOLENCE December 1996
    Issue Papers, Extended Responses and Country Fact Sheets file:///C:/Documents and Settings/brendelt/Desktop/temp rir/POLITICAL... Français Home Contact Us Help Search canada.gc.ca Issue Papers, Extended Responses and Country Fact Sheets Home Issue Paper BANGLADESH POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE December 1996 Disclaimer This document was prepared by the Research Directorate of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada on the basis of publicly available information, analysis and comment. All sources are cited. This document is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed or conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. For further information on current developments, please contact the Research Directorate. Table of Contents MAP GLOSSARY 1. INTRODUCTION 2. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE 2.1 Events Leading Up to the 15 February 1996 General Election 2.2 The 15 February 1996 General Election 2.3 The Non-Cooperation Movement 2.4 The Caretaker Government 2.5 The 12 June 1996 General Election 2.6 Events Following the 12 June 1996 General Election 3. FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS APPENDIX I: GOVERNMENT MINISTERS (as of 29 June 1996) 1 of 23 9/16/2013 3:56 PM Issue Papers, Extended Responses and Country Fact Sheets file:///C:/Documents and Settings/brendelt/Desktop/temp rir/POLITICAL... APPENDIX II: NOTES ON SOURCES REFERENCES MAP See original. Source: EIU Country Profile: Bangladesh 1995-96, 23. GLOSSARY AL Awami League BCL Bangladesh Chhatra League (Awami League student wing) BDR Bangladesh Rifles BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party (Jatiyatabadi Dal) BSEHR Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights CCHRB Coordinating Council for Human Rights in Bangladesh FEMA Fair Election Monitoring Alliance ICS Islami Chhatra Shibir (Jamaat-e-Islami student wing) JAGPA Jatiya Ganatantrik Party JCD Jatiyabadi Chhatra Dal (BNP student wing) JI Jamaat-e-Islami JP Jatiya Party JSD Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal LDF Left Democratic Front 1.
    [Show full text]