Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday asked all concerned to keep temporarily stopped the works of all development projects on highways calling upon them to make coordinated efforts to ensure smooth journey for home-goers during the Eid-ul-Azha, reports BSS.

“I have already talked to all concerned to halt temporarily the development works including flyovers on roads and highways. All will have to work in a coordinated way to ensure smooth and safe Eid journey,” he said.

Quader, also Awami League general secretary, gave the directives joining a videoconferencing from his official residence on parliament premises with Gazipur road division, city corporation mayor, lawmakers and law enforcement agencies.

He said traffic management should be maintained in a proper way from Tongi to Gazipur intersection (Chourasta) and bypass, Nabinagar to Chandra, Bhogra-Chandra-Kaliakoir-Elenga corridor to lessen sufferings of homebound people due to traffic gridlock on highways.

The road transport minister said the garments in Gazipur and its surrounding areas will go on holidays two days before Eid-ul-Azha which will mount pressure of passengers on highways, so preparations should be taken to minimize the additional pressure by making a plan by consulting with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Quader asked the highway police to keep preparation with all necessary equipment to lessen traffic congestion as vehicles could get damaged suddenly on highways due to rains to cause gridlock.

He said monitoring on highways should be increased as tempo, rickshaw-van and auto-rickshaw cannot be operated on highways by any means before and after Eid-ul-Azha and traffic system should be ensured properly at the entry and exit points of the capital city.

The minister urged the transport owners and workers to drive vehicles maintaining utmost cautionary measures saying “do not push your life at risk during driving and do not carry additional passengers on vehicles”.

He said in the wake of coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, wearing facemask has been made mandatory giving highest importance on maintaining health guidelines by all as police, traffic division and other agencies concerned will act to ensure wearing facemask by all outside of home.

Otherwise, the minister said, the people’s journey during Eid-ul-Azha, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslim community, could be harmed as health experts alerted the rate of coronavirus transmission could reach at high level if health guidelines and social or physical distancing rules are not followed strictly during the festival.

Turning to flood situation, the AL general secretary called upon the leaders and workers of the party and associate and likeminded bodies to stand by the flood victims with relief goods and other necessaries.

He said the prime minister gave directives to form coordination committees to work in unison with the local administrations to this end.