National Road Safety Day today

The National Road Safety Day is being observed in the country for the third time, aiming to create awareness about safe roads, reports UNB.

The slogan of this year’s day is “Livelihood not before life. No more road accident”.

A colourful procession was brought out from the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad at 7:30am on the occasion.

A discussion was held at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) at 10:00am where prime minister Sheikh Hasina spoke as the chief guest.

Addressing the programme, the prime minister said ensuring road safety is not the responsibility of the government or drivers alone as all will have to come up to deal with it.

"Ensuring a safe road system is not only the responsibility of the government or the drives, it’s the responsibility of all--from pedestrians to all other citizens. All have to discharge their own duties," she said.

Different organisations, including the road transport and bridges ministry, have taken up various programmes across the country.

Nirapad Sarak Chai (Nischa) has been observing a month-long programme to mark the day.

IliasKanchan, founder and chairman of Nischa, inaugurated the programme at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka on 1 October.

Kanchan said 120 organisations along with the government will observe the ‘National Road Safety Day’ on 22 October.

Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages on the occasion.

In his message, the president said all, including transport owners and workers, commuters and pedestrians, should know about the traffic rules and obeythose to ensure road safety.

In her message, the prime minister said a single accident can be the reason for lifelong sufferings for a person or a family.

She urged people to adopt the culture of obeying the traffic rules along with raising public awareness to reduce the number of road crashes.