‘Even upazilas will have traffic jam if AL is in power for another term’

There will be traffic jams even at upazila level if Awami League remains in power for another five-year term, LGRD Minister Md Tajul Islam told the parliament today.

The minister came up with the remark in response to criticism from BNP MP Harunur Rashid over unbearable traffic jam in Dhaka.

Participating on the Zila Parishad (Amendment) Bill-2022, Harun said, "Dhaka has come to a standstill at present. You (Awami League) are in power for 15 years in a row, but Dhaka city is now in a sorry state."

He said Dhaka city has become unliveable due to noise pollution, air pollution, water pollution, mosquito infestation and catastrophe in waste management.

Unplanned urbanisation is going to turn not only Dhaka but the whole of Bangladesh into an uninhabitable country, Harun said.

The BNP lawmaker said it takes three hours to go to the Secretariat from home. People who are fasting cannot reach home for Iftar due to heavy traffic jam on the roads, he added.

Tarabi prayers at mosques are interrupted by mosquito bites, he further said.

Harun wanted to know what steps the government has taken to reduce such public sufferings.

In response, the LGRD minister said, "Since Awami League came to power in 2009, the country's economic development has been ongoing. So, the number of private cars on the road has increased. If Awami League stays in power for another five years, you will see queues of vehicles even in upazilas."

Tajul Islam said, "Everyone is moving to the capital, Dhaka, as people are becoming self-sufficient in terms of economy. This has happened all over the world including in London, Tokyo and Kolkata. They have managed it. We are also working on it. The Prime Minister has given instructions (in this regard). I was made the president of the committee on Detailed Area Plan (DAP). I am considering many issues there."