HC move to stop wrong side driving in Dhaka

The High Court today issued a rule upon the authorities concerned to explain by two weeks as to why they should not be directed to stop plying of vehicles on the wrong side of roads in Dhaka city.

The HC bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice AKM Shahidul Huq came up with the rule following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Ali.

The lawyer submitted the petition on May 3 this year based on a photo report published in The Daily Star on March 17 under a headline ‘Laws bent for some’ seeking necessary order from the HC to stop vehicles plying the wrong side of roads.

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He said in the petition that a vehicle plying the wrong side is a punishable offence under the motor vehicles law but carrying some influential persons including ministry and police high officials and students the vehicles are plying the wrong side causing road accidents and traffic congestions.

Vice chancellors of Dhaka University, Jagannath University and Jahangirnagar University, cabinet secretary, home secretary, education secretary, Inspector General of Police (IGP), BRTA chairman, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner and deputy commissioner (traffic) have been made respondents to the rule.