Online Desk  :   Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md Nahid Islam has observed that pervasive corruption in the road and transport sector has not stopped, rather it has remained as usual. “A political party indulged in corruption of the transport sector earlier, creating a total anarchy in the sector. Now another political party becomes involved in corruption. A political influence is interconnected with the anarchy on roads. So, the problems here won’t get resolved overnight. However, the matter will be looked into with greater emphasis. Since the political leaders and workers are involved in corruption, political parties themselves will have to play the leading role to resolve this problem,” he said.

The adviser was speaking as the chief guest at the National Dialogue on Institutional Management and Structural Reforms to restore discipline in the road transport sector. It was organized by the Road Safety Foundation at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) in Dhaka on Saturday. According to Nahid Islam, structural reforms are needed to establish discipline in the transport sector. Along with this, political corruption in the transport sector must be stopped. I urge those involved in the transport sector to work together to ensure road safety.

Noting that structural developments become meaningless if those cannot ensure the safety of people’s lives, he said: “We need positive changes in our basic development plans.” The adviser said that road safety movement was waged to challenge the alleged development of the previous government. Through that movement, the issue of ensuring safe roads has been highlighted through school and college students, he added. Speaking at the dialogue, the BRTA Chairman said no old buses would be allowed to ply on the roads in Dhaka city. “Time has been given, and take steps within this time. Long term planning has been taken to free the roads and footpaths from occupiers.”

At the beginning of the dialogue, Abdullah M Ferdous Khan, Vice President of the Road Safety Foundation, presented a documentary on what needs to be done to establish discipline in the road transport sector. Road Safety Foundation Chairman Dr AI Mahbub Uddin Ahmed presided over the dialogue. Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) Director General Faruk Wasif, Road Safety Foundation Vice President Syed Jahangir and Road Safety Foundation Executive Director Saidur Rahman also spoke.