Staff Reporter :Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Annisul Huq has compared the recent situation of Dhaka with a patient lying in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a hospital.”The present condition of Dhaka is like an ICU patient. Mayors are the doctors of it who never studied medical science. The patient is dying, and we are only carrying out research. This cannot go on. We have to save the patient,” he told a roundtable on ‘Wayout from Traffic Congestion’ at a city hotel on Sunday. He said Dhaka is now the second worst livable city in the world. Besides painful traffic conditions and hazardous environment, this monsoon revealed its vulnerability in drainage system.Something must be done urgently to save Dhaka by at least lowering the impact of traffic problem by 40 to 50 per cent, he said.The mayor said “Everyone suggests making the footpaths hawker-free, but it is not easy as they have invested money in their businesses and there are many powerful hands behind this.” Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, speaking as the chief guest said, “You should take small steps and implement them gradually.”He said, free the roads from grabbers. Everyone says nice words, but there is hardly any action in this regard.Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon said traffic congestion and waterlogging are major problems of Dhaka city.He said, “We often discuss the problems. Now we want some actions. Some works need to be done. Although alleviating traffic congestion is the responsibility of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the city corporation wants to lead in the efforts and wants to contribute to the cause.” Meanwhile, Golam Farukh, Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), mentioned unplanned and damaged roads, development works, and driving on the wrong side as the root causes of the acute traffic problem.
