A sub-committee has been formed to determine the strategy by scrutinising the proposed recommendations of the committee formed by the Road Transport and Highways Division for this purpose, Quader said at the 28th meeting of the National Road Safety Council at the BRTA headquarters this morning.

The road transport and bridges minister joined the meeting via a video conference from his official residence.

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Quader said the views of the stakeholders have already been taken to make the legal framework up-to-date and logical to ensure safer roads. 

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader. File photo

He said that the legal framework would be strengthened by following the appropriate process. Quader said a road safety audit on the country's highways was launched for the first time.

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He assured that the long wait of people for diving licenses will be over soon and the work on issuing quality licenses will start from the last week of this month.

A National Road Safety Strategic Plan was taken from 2016 to 2020. A new strategic plan for 2021 to 2024 was presented as per the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to formulate a new action plan. 

This is a long-term plan, so the committee is tasked with finalising recommendations for the implementation of the Strategic Action Plan, he said.

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Quader said the committee would finalise the draft within the next one month and submit it to the next road safety council meeting for approval.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Nur Taposh, North Mayor Atiqul Islam, parliamentarian Shahjahan Khan and representatives of various ministries were present at the BRTA office and on the virtual platform. 

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Ilias Kanchan, chairman of Nirapad Sarak Chai, the DMP commissioner and other transport owners and workers’ leaders also attended the programme.