Army deployed to control Dhaka traffic

Published September 16, 2009

DHAKA Bangladesh authorities have deployed army personnel to help with traffic control on the streets of the capital Dhaka in the hope that military precision will reduce congestion.

Home Minister Shamsul Haq Tuku said on Tuesday that military police were being used as a back-up to ordinary traffic officers as the already jammed streets were facing meltdown ahead of two major religious festivals.

“The army men have been deployed to help police get rid of traffic jams in Dhaka city,” a statement from the home ministry said. Traffic worsens in Bangladesh ahead of every Eid al-Fitr, which occurs next Monday or Tuesday.

This year the congestion is even worse because Eid al-Fitr falls close to Durgapuja, the biggest Hindu festival, celebrated by 30 million people in Bangladesh.

Mohammad Rahamatullah, an ex-UN transport expert, said bringing in the army was a clever tactic by the government. “People in Bangladesh are not afraid of traffic police, but they fear the military,” he said.—AFP

Opinion

Editorial

IHK resolution
Updated 08 Nov, 2024

IHK resolution

If the BJP administration were to listen to Kashmiris, it could pave the way for the resumption of the political process in IHK.
Climate realities
08 Nov, 2024

Climate realities

THE Air Quality Index in Lahore once again shot past the 1,000-level mark on Wednesday morning, registering at an...
Rule by fear
08 Nov, 2024

Rule by fear

THE abduction of an opposition MNA, as claimed by PTI, is yet another grim episode in Pakistan’s ongoing crisis of...
Trump 2.0
Updated 07 Nov, 2024

Trump 2.0

It remains to be seen how his promises to bring ‘peace’ to Middle East reconcile with his blatantly pro-Israel bias.
Fait accompli
07 Nov, 2024

Fait accompli

A SLEW of secretively conceived and hastily enacted legislation has achieved its intended result: the powers of the...
IPP contracts
07 Nov, 2024

IPP contracts

THE government expects the ongoing ‘negotiations’ with power producers aimed at revising the terms of sovereign...