Nahid stresses discipline in transport sector

Staff Reporter :

Nahid Islam, the Adviser on Information, Broadcasting, and Telecommunications to the Interim Government, has said there is a widespread perception in society that those in positions of power often evade justice when involved in accidents.

On Friday morning, a student from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) was tragically killed after being struck by a speeding private car in the capital’s East Para area. The driver of the car was identified as the child of a former military officer.

Highlighting this incident, Advisor Nahid stated, “A BUET student has lost his life. There is a prevailing notion that individuals from the higher echelons of society are not held accountable or face justice. In such cases, it is ordinary people’s lives that are lost. This reality exists in our society, and it must change.”

In his address, Nahid Islam called for collaborative efforts within the transport sector to ensure safer roads across the country. “We need structural reforms to impose discipline within the transport sector. Furthermore, political corruption in this sector must be addressed,” he urged.

The advisor made these remarks during his speech at the National Dialogue on Institutional Management and Structural Reforms, aimed at bringing discipline to the road transport sector. The event, organized by the Road Safety Foundation at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB), had Nahid Islam as its chief guest.

Nahid further emphasized that structural developments are futile if they do not prioritize public safety. “We need positive changes in our fundamental development plans,” he added.

Reflecting on the road safety movement, the adviser recalled its origin in challenging the alleged development strategies of the previous government. Through the movement, school and college students have brought attention to the critical issue of safe roads.

The dialogue began with a documentary presented by Abdullah M. Ferdous Khan, Vice President of the Road Safety Foundation, outlining the necessary steps for ensuring discipline in the road transport sector.

The session was chaired by Dr. AI Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, Chairman of the Road Safety Foundation, and included speeches by PIB Director General Faruk Wasif, Road Safety Foundation Vice President Syed Jahangir, and Executive Director Saidur Rahman.