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Pedestrians are the most vulnerable group to accidents in the capital for violating traffic signals and not using footbridge or underpass while crossing roads, sources in different agencies said.
   Most of the people avoid using footbridges and underpasses and cross road amid risks of accidents unless they are compelled to use those for fencing in the road dividers or active police role.
   There are 42 footbridges in the capital while the number of underpass is three, but almost all of them are hardly used by pedestrians, they said.
   Although there are three footbridges in Farmgate area, people are seen crossing the roads haphazardly amid busy traffic forcing the vehicle drivers to suddenly apply on the brakes to save the jaywalkers.
   Such incidents are commonplace at Banglamotor crossing, Paribagh crossing, Moghbazar crossing, Sahabagh crossing and Elephant Road crossing.
   It is even seen at some places that fences, made of steel or iron, had been broken to cross the roads although the fences were erected to compel people use the footbridge or underpass.
   In some other places, people were seen crossing the waist-high concrete road dividers amid risks.
   Rubina Huq, who was crossing the road along with her two little daughters and a lot of shopping bags under the New Market footbridge on Thursday, said the footbridge was too high and she was in a hurry.
   ‘I know it is risky to cross the roads in such a way and we should use footbridge, but sometimes we do not use it simply because we are not habituated,’ she said.
   According to the Accident Research Centre of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, which has conducted a number of surveys on the issue, pedestrians are the most vulnerable group to road accidents in the city.
   In a study conducted by the World Bank in 2007, it was found that pedestrians alone become the victims of about 75 per cent of the road accident fatalities.
   According to BRTA, in 636 accidents in and around Dhaka in 2006, pedestrians became victims of 404 of the accidents. A total of 313 pedestrians were dead and injured in the accidents.
   According to the traffic department of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, in places having footbridge or underpass, they ask the pedestrians to use those while in places having no underpass or footbridge, they try to restrict pedestrians from crossing the roads without any signal.
   Mohammad Jashimuddin, joint commissioner for the traffic department of DMP, said there was a provision for penalty of Tk 5 for such offence under Motor Vehicle Ordinance. ‘But we cannot realise the fines in the absence of five taka stamp.’
   He said the amount of penalty for the pedestrians would be increased in the revised motor vehicle ordinance and the fines would be realised from the pedestrians in case violation of the traffic rules then, he added.
   The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority has prepared the revised draft of the regulations and sent it to the Ministry of Communications for scrutiny.

The Association of Bus Companies, a forum of CNG-run bus owners, on Saturday asked its members to cut the extra fare they were charging flouting the government-fixed rates, at the quickest possible time.
   The association at a meeting in a city hotel also decided to keep a database of their drivers, nine seats in 52-seat buses and five in small buses, 36-seat or less, reserved for people with disabilities and women.
   Forty-seven out of 51 of the association who were present at the meeting also decided to provide license to the helpers of the CNG-run buses, meeting sources said. The association also distributed stickers inscribed with ‘seats reserved for disabled and women’ among the members.
   The association also starts a programme to enforce display of fare charts in all the buses from today.
   The association goes for the action as per a government directive to eliminate harassment of passengers by the transport workers, who are charging at will following the recent fuel price hike.
   The communications ministry on Tuesday had a meeting with different associations of bus operations and it was decided that route permit would be cancelled if any bus operator charges extra.
   However, the association president Khandaker Rafiqul Hossain Kajal told New Age, ‘We have found some problems in distances between different stoppages in the government-made fare chart for different routes in the periphery of the capital.’
   The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority officials concerned and the officials asked the association chief to have a meeting in this regard on Sunday to resolve the problem, if any, Kajal said.
   At least 5000 drivers are working with the CNG-run counter services buses and similar number of helpers is also working with, but there is no database of drivers to the association.
   The association will soon hold a news briefing regarding the problems in the transport sector, including the rise in the prices of spare parts of vehicles, association sources said.
   More than 2,000 CNG-run buses are plying in the capital and its periphery, the association head said.
   The government, since introduction of CNG-run buses in 2003, on June 12 this year re-fixed CNG bus fares at Tk 1.20 a kilometre for large buses and Tk 1.10 a kilometre for small buses.
   The government on April 26 increased the fare of CNG-run auto-rickshaws and taxicabs after the CNG price hike after the price of CNG was increased to Tk 16.75 from Tk 8.50 with effect from April 25.
   On June 30, the government also increased the prices of diesel, petrol and octane and re-fixed the fare of diesel-run buses.

Five mayoral candidates out of six in the ensuing Khulna City Corporation polls in a dialogue on Saturday pledged to work for in the development of the city, even if they are not elected.
   In the face-to face programme, the candidates also pledged to the city dwellers to devote them to work with the people of the south-western region in realising their demands, saying that development of the Khulna region had remained neglected during the past governments.
   The Khulna Nagarik Forum, a non-political organisation, with the help of Rupantar and Manusher Jonno Foundation, two NGOs, organised the programme in the Khulna Press Club.
   It is the second such programme in the city after the Greater Khulna Development Coordination Action Committee, which had organised the first face-to-face programme on Thursday with the participation of all the six candidates to let the people know their commitments.
   The candidates in Saturday’s dialogue also committed to serve, if elected, the city dwellers without any favouritism and political consideration, and make the KCC free from corruption, especially through bringing accountability in works of the mayor, councillors and officials and employees.
   People of from different parts of the city attended the dialogue and asked questions to the mayoral candidates on issues including their election pledges.
   Five mayoral candidates — Moniruzzaman Moni, Talukder Abdul Khaleq, Advocate Firoz Ahmed, Tayebur Rahman and Advocate SM Moslem Uddin Ahmod — were introduced to the city people at the programme, chaired by the forum chairperson Sheikh Abdul Quayum. Though invited, another candidate, Advocate Enayet Ali, did not attend, said the organisers.
   The forum secretary general Sheikh Mosharrof Hossain and Khulna district Election Working Group coordinator Abdul Halim also addressed the programme moderated by Professor Anwarul Quadir. Other pledges by the candidates include ensuring safe water supply, development of roads, strengthening the conservancy department of the corporation, helping revitalise the jute mills in the Khalishpur industrial belt, putting pressure on the government for gas supply to the region, starting works of the Padma Bridge at Maowa point and running Mongla port effectively.
   The city dwellers in the dialogue put questions to BNP leader and KCC mayor in-charge Moniruzzaman Moni, former president of the city unit of Communist Party of Bangladesh Firoz Ahmed, city Awami League president Talukder Abdul Khaleq and independent candidate Tayabur Rahman. No question from the audience was, however, made to SM Moslem Uddin.

The Bangladesh Mahila Parishad president, Ayesha Khanam, on Saturday urged the government to implement the National Women Development Policy-2008 for establishing women’s rights in the country.
   She was speaking at a discussion on ‘Women’s movement in Bangladesh: perspective National Women Development Policy 2008’ organised by the Rajshahi University unit of the organisation at the Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium in Rajshahi. War criminals and fundamentalist forces created violence in the country so that the government make a retreat from implementing the policy, she said.
   Professor Sanad Kumar Saha urged the government to clarify its stand on the issue and called the progressive organisations for a united movement for the implementation of the policy.
   Eminent litterateur Hassain Azizul Haque said without ensuring women rights, democracy cannot be established in Bangladesh.
   The discussants at the programme also urged the universities authorities to formulate a sexual harassment protection policy at universities. The BMP general secretary Mahbuba Kaniz Keya, and joint secretary Masuda Rahman also took part in the discussion.
   The RU unit president of BMP, Shahanara Hossain, presided over the discussion. Former RU vice-chancellor Professor Abdul Khalque, Golam Arif Tipu, Abdul Hossain, Mosharaff Hossain, attended the programme.

Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan on Saturday demanded inclusion of a provision for citizens’ committee in the Ordinance of Private Plot and Flat Trading Management to ensure participation of civil society.
   The BAPA leaders said a citizens’ committee should be incorporated in the draft ordinance of private plot and flat trading like that in the building construction rules. They made the demand at a discussion at its office at Lalmatia in Dhaka.
   The Ministry of Housing and Public Works is drafting the ordinance to streamline buying, selling and allocation of all kinds of private plot, apartment or flat and office space.
   They also demanded to provide monitoring authority of the private plot and flat trading system to the associations like Land Developers Association and Real Estate Housing Authority of Bangladesh alongside the government agencies like RAJUK.
   BAPA joint-secretary Iqbal Habib said, ‘Such authoritative power to the private organisations will be beneficial for the government as well as the individual buyers and traders as these associations will be accountable to the government.’ BAPA leaders also demanded inclusion of provision for punishments like jail and financial compensation for any sorts of forgery in the private property trading.
   People often fall in trouble by such malpractices, observed the organisation president Sayed AM Wahed. ‘We demand punishment for such perpetrators, and inclusion of both imprisonment and financial compensation in the ordinance,’ he said. Sharif Jamil and Mohidul Huq Khan of the organisation were also present.

The Dhaka City Corporation today organises a workshop on cleaners’ safety and sanitation to create awareness among the cleaners to prevent injuries and sickness related to waste management.
   Importance of using safety gears and first aid kit will be explained and a clear guidance on how these should be appropriately used will be given at the workshop to be held at Mohanagar Natya Manch in Gulistan from 11:00am to 1:15pm.
   The cleaners will also be explained how to operate the safety and sanitation committees to be formed with the conservancy officers, supervising inspectors, inspectors and cleaners, said a press release.
   Formulation of an effective work manner and prevention of work-related sickness and injury of the waste management workers are essential to achieve the goal of clean Dhaka.
   The committees will be formed to investigate and identify issues related to safety and sanitation of the cleaners’ working environment and to discuss and implement measures to improve the present safety and sanitation system.
   With the assistance of
   the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the corporation has been working to improve the overall solid waste management of the Dhaka city in line with the JICA-prepared Clean Dhaka Master Plan targeting the year 2015, the release added.

Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at many places over all the six divisions — Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet — with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places during the 24-hour period till 6:00pm today, the Met Office said.
   The day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, it said.
   The country’s highest temperature on Saturday, 32.6 degrees Celsius, was recorded at Srimangal and the lowest, 23.8 degrees Celsius, in Cox’s Bazar.
   The sun sets in the capital today at 6:47pm and rises tomorrow at 5:23am.

A caretaker government has no jurisdiction to give transit to another country, as it would put the country’s sovereignty at stake, said speakers at a seminar in Dhaka on Saturday.
   They also suggested formation of a regional commission to deal with the much-talked-about transit issue with neighbouring country India.
   Institute for Policy Research organised the seminar titled ‘Bangladesh-India Transit: An Assessment’ at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh with Dr Mahbub Ullah of Development Studies Department of Dhaka University in the chair.
   Former energy adviser and ex-chairman of Bangladesh Board of Investment Mahmudur Rahman, former chairman of Press Institute of Bangladesh Dr Rezwan Siddique, teacher of Dhaka University’s political science department Mahbubur Rahman, among others, addressed the seminar.
   They said the South Asian countries need to be involved in multilateral talks and there should not be any bilateral talks between India and Bangladesh.
   Mahmudur Rahman alleged that India did not want transit. ‘It rather looks for a corridor in Bangladesh to turn it into an Indian state like the seven sisters.’
   He demanded resignation of the foreign adviser, Iftekher Chowdhury, for his ‘present activities to give transit to India.’
   The speakers said the Indian pressure to have access to her north-eastern states through Bangladesh has mounted in recent months.
   They said India proved itself as an untrustworthy friend while helping Bangladesh during the liberation war and it later secretly built Farakka Barrage.

The border situation has returned to normal in Shibganj of Chapainawabganj district, with people of the frontier taking part in the activities of their day-to-day existence.
   Meanwhile, an intrusion case has been filed against Tajamul, an Indian national who was arrested by the Bangladesh Rifles at Roghunatpur during an exchange of firing between the BDR and the Border Security Force of India Thursday night.
   Commander of the Rajshahi sector of BDR, Colonel Mohammad Iqbal met the local correspondents of different national dailies and electronic media Friday night at the battalion head quarters in Chapainawabganj. He said as the BSF had refused charges of their intrusion and firing on the BDR in the flag meeting, the Bangladesh delegation led by him had proposed a joint investigation and a joint press briefing. But the Indian delegation led by DS Sidhu, DIG of the Bahrampur BSF sector, had refused to accept the proposal, he added.
   After the briefing, when Tajamul was taken to the press men, he said when their boat had entered about 1.5 kilometres inside the Bangladesh territory, the BDR challenged them and at this the BSF started firing at the BDR.
   Operation officer of 39 Rifle Battalion, Major Syed Abu Hasan said although the situation had become normal the BDR members were alert on the border areas of the district.

Former Chittagong bureau chief of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha Nazir Ahmed, also former president of Chittagong Union of Journalists, died of old-age complications at Chittagong Metropolitan Hospital Friday night at the age of 72.
   He left behind three sons and three daughters. Nazir was also former president of Chittagong Metropolitan Union of Journalists, Chittagong Journalists’ Cooperative Housing Society and Metropolitan Journalists’ Cooperative Association.
   He was buried at the graveyard of Chittagong Journalists’ Cooperative Housing Society after namaj-e-janaza on the Jamiaatul Falah Mosque premises at 1:30pm on Saturday.
   Chittagong Press Club president Ali Abbas, general secretary Azaz Yousufi, CUJ president Mostaque Ahmed, general secretary Nazimuddin Shyamol, CMUJ president Shamsul Hoque Haidery and general secretary Mohammad Shahnewaj in separate messages expressed their deep shock at the death of Nazir and prayed for the salvation of the departed soul.

Bangladesh Forum for Educational Development honoured its two founding members at a function in the city Saturday.
   Professor Shamsul Haque and AF Fazlul Majid were awarded life membership for their contributions to the organisation, engaged in advancement of education in the country since 1991.
   Professor Kazi Saleh Ahmed, former vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University and Professor Mohammed Selim, former director of IER, Dhaka University and also a former consultant to UNICEF, were the special guests at the function presided over by Professor Abu Hamid Latif, director of the organisation.
   Held at the FREPD auditorium, the function was marked by felicitations and reminiscences apart from allusions to the contributions Professor Haque and Majid had made to the educational arena.
   Professor Haque recalled his association with the organisation and hoped that despite all odds the organisation would live on and make progress.
   Majid also expressed similar expectation at the function, also addressed by Dr Manzur Ahmed of BRAC University, Professor Eltasuddin Ahmed, Professor Salma Akhtar, Professor Shafiul Alam, Professor Nazmul Huq, Abdul Malek and Shyamoli Akbar.

The qul khwani of Nazah Zayyan, four-month-old daughter of Zillur Rahman, presenter of ‘Trititiyo Matra’ programme at Channel-i, was held at her father’s residence at 45/1, New Eskaton in Dhaka on Friday.
   Leaders of different political parties, diplomats, lawyers, academicians journalists, former and incumbent military officials, businessmen and cultural activists attended the programme.
   Nazah died of heart and other complications at Holy Family Hospital Tuesday night, said a press release.

JU social sciences faculty holds
annual seminar
The annual seminar on presentation of research data of the Social Science Faculty of Jahangirnagar University was held on Saturday. The JU vice-chancellor, Mohammad Muniruzzaman, was present as chief guest at the function first, second and third sessions of which were respectively presided over by Khondoker Mustahidur Rahman, Professor M Salimullah Khan and Professor Mesbah-us-Saleheen. The JU VC called for giving special importance to the research development of knowledge, science and technology suiting the requirement of time. He also stressed the need for a massive participation of new faculty members in research along with the senior teachers.
— BSS