The High Court on Monday asked the police department to find out reasons behind the mismanagement in traffic signal system in capital Dhaka and also to submit a report before the court in this regard within 30 days. The court asked the additional commissioner (traffic) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police to identify the reasons behind the traffic signal mismanagement and submit a report before this court in 30 days.
In response to a writ petition, the HC ordered the authorities concerned of the government to frame a guideline within the next 30 days in order to operate traffic signal system properly in the capital.= The court also issued a rule asking the authorities to explain within four weeks why their failure and inaction to operate the traffic signal system in Dhaka and removing the mismanagement should not be declared illegal.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order and rule following a writ petition jointly filed by SC lawyer Barrister Monoj Kumar Bhowmik and Advocate Sulaiman Hawlader Mintu seeking necessary order. During hearing of the writ petition, Barrister Monoj on Monday told the court that accidents and casualties are taking place in the capital due to faulty traffic system and therefore, people’s constitutional right to live is being violated.
Necessary orders needed to be passed on the authorities to address the “mismanagement” in the traffic signal system in Dhaka, he argued. The petitioners submitted the writ petition to the HC as a public interest litigation on Thursday based on a report published in The Daily Star on January 12 with the headline -- Unutilised Traffic Lights Money wasted, streets made dangerous.
