Shajahan backs no-test licence demand
Backed by the shipping minister, Bangladesh Road Transport Owners-Workers Unity Council has set Nov 30 for the government to meet their demand to issue driving licence without any written test.
The organisation on Monday has also threatened to call for a larger movement over that and 10 other demands if that demand for licence without screening remained unmet after the deadline.
http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/10/25/113925
Declaring the timeframe at a rally at Central Shaheed Minar in the capital, council convenor Khandaker Enayet Ullah said, "Transport owners and workers will launch a greater movement from Dec 1 if the demand is not implemented by Nov 30."
Rolling out the 11-point charter of demands at the rally, he said that they would submit a memorandum to the communications ministry on Oct 26.
"Training institutes for drivers must be set up in every district while driving licences must be issued based on field test and oral examination," he asserted.
After arriving at the rally, minister Shajahan Khan said, "I totally support these demands. I will have a discussion with the government to get these demands realised."
Shahjahan, also the president of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners-Workers Federation, have been harshly criticised over the deaths of prominent filmmaker Tareque Masud, ATN News CEO Ashfaque (Mishuk) Munier and three others in a deadly road crash in Manikganj on Aug 13.
The public rage over the unskilled drivers and call to end road traffic accidents came to a head following the incident.
Though, there had been allegations that the communications ministry had issued licences to unskilled drivers under pressure from Shahjahan, both shipping and communications ministers refuted the allegations.
The other demands of the council include discussion with the council representatives before passing the Road Transport and Traffic Act, a stop to filing cases under Section 302 of Bangladesh Penal Code, recognising road transport as a service industry, extortion-free road transport sector and easing the prices of tyre, tube, fuel and spare parts.
Shajahan on Monday told the rally that some intellectuals and several media outlets are trying to put the transport workers against the people.
He said, "Transport workers are not killers, they are the people's servant."
"Only drivers are not responsible for road accidents", the minister argued and said, "There are other reasons. Of them, technical glitches and battered roads are the major ones."
Criticising talks over his remarks on issuing licence, Shajahan said, "I never spoke about issuance of licences without any test. I said that mishaps can happen if the drivers don't recognise the traffic signs. These signs have been included in the traffic gazette in June, 2000 which the drivers must know."
He also criticised writer Muntasir Mamun for his column on the issue. "Workers have sacrificed their lives in the Liberation War. Those who are calling the workers Khan Shena now, prove your words or apologise to the people."
Mamun had criticised the transport workers calling them the army of Shajhahan Khan in a post-editorial in a national daily.
http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=209762&cid=2
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=207881
http://www.bd-pratidin.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=News&pub_no=538&cat_id=1&menu_id=1&news_type_id=1&index=4
Backed by the shipping minister, Bangladesh Road Transport Owners-Workers Unity Council has set Nov 30 for the government to meet their demand to issue driving licence without any written test.
The organisation on Monday has also threatened to call for a larger movement over that and 10 other demands if that demand for licence without screening remained unmet after the deadline.
http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/10/25/113925
Declaring the timeframe at a rally at Central Shaheed Minar in the capital, council convenor Khandaker Enayet Ullah said, "Transport owners and workers will launch a greater movement from Dec 1 if the demand is not implemented by Nov 30."
Rolling out the 11-point charter of demands at the rally, he said that they would submit a memorandum to the communications ministry on Oct 26.
"Training institutes for drivers must be set up in every district while driving licences must be issued based on field test and oral examination," he asserted.
After arriving at the rally, minister Shajahan Khan said, "I totally support these demands. I will have a discussion with the government to get these demands realised."
Shahjahan, also the president of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners-Workers Federation, have been harshly criticised over the deaths of prominent filmmaker Tareque Masud, ATN News CEO Ashfaque (Mishuk) Munier and three others in a deadly road crash in Manikganj on Aug 13.
The public rage over the unskilled drivers and call to end road traffic accidents came to a head following the incident.
Though, there had been allegations that the communications ministry had issued licences to unskilled drivers under pressure from Shahjahan, both shipping and communications ministers refuted the allegations.
The other demands of the council include discussion with the council representatives before passing the Road Transport and Traffic Act, a stop to filing cases under Section 302 of Bangladesh Penal Code, recognising road transport as a service industry, extortion-free road transport sector and easing the prices of tyre, tube, fuel and spare parts.
Shajahan on Monday told the rally that some intellectuals and several media outlets are trying to put the transport workers against the people.
He said, "Transport workers are not killers, they are the people's servant."
"Only drivers are not responsible for road accidents", the minister argued and said, "There are other reasons. Of them, technical glitches and battered roads are the major ones."
Criticising talks over his remarks on issuing licence, Shajahan said, "I never spoke about issuance of licences without any test. I said that mishaps can happen if the drivers don't recognise the traffic signs. These signs have been included in the traffic gazette in June, 2000 which the drivers must know."
He also criticised writer Muntasir Mamun for his column on the issue. "Workers have sacrificed their lives in the Liberation War. Those who are calling the workers Khan Shena now, prove your words or apologise to the people."
Mamun had criticised the transport workers calling them the army of Shajhahan Khan in a post-editorial in a national daily.
http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=209762&cid=2
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=207881
http://www.bd-pratidin.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=News&pub_no=538&cat_id=1&menu_id=1&news_type_id=1&index=4
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