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Govt to stagger work hours to fix gridlocks

PM directs police to seize illegally parked vehicles; schools to be told to run enough buses, discourage use of private cars

Hasan Jahid Tusher
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the authorities to stagger work hours for offices, educational institutions and businesses to ease traffic pressure on the citv roads.
Presiding over a cabinet meeting, she also stressed the need for strict enforce-
ment of traffic laws, and asked the law enforcement agencies to seize and tow away vehicles parked illegally.
The prime minister expressed concern over gridlocks paralysing the capital every day despite special measures, and said her government is drawing up programmes for a durable solution to the problem.
Briefing reporters about the meeting at the secretariat, PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said the government will soon meet representatives of public, private and autonomous bodies, educational institutions and business community to discuss plans to rearrange office hours.
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Meeting sources said the cabinet decided to direct the city schools to run enough buses for their students.
If the schools are required to make it compulsory for students to take buses instead of private cars, it would help cut tailbacks in areas like Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Shantinagar and Bailey Road.
Besides, the cabinet discussed introducing a toll system for vehicles using certain roads.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury told The Daily Star that the government is looking to take some innovative measures to tackle the everworsening traffic situation.
Among other issues, the cabinet talked about appointing neutral persons as directors of the state-owned commercial banks.
Hasina asked the finance minister about the status of the proposal for forming industrial police. Muhith replied he would sit with the ministry officials soon to okay the proposal.
The prime minister instructed the commerce minister to make the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh more active to keep the prices of essentials stable. She also advised him to watch closely the market situation so the prices do not go further up.
She asked offices not to set the air conditioners below 24 degrees Celsius. She requested the officials to wear shirts and
pants instead of suits to reduce dependency on ACs.
The cabinet approved a proposal for signing the Indian Ocean memorandum of understanding, a treaty aiming to increase maritime safety, protect marine environment and ensure ships conform to international maritime conventions.
It also gave the finance ministry the go-ahead to change Small Enterprise Development Project into a subsidiary of Agrani Bank Ltd.
Seeking to generate employment opportunity by funding capital-intensive small enterprises, SEDP is currently operative in greater Mymensingh and laridpur.
It will have Tk 500 crore in approved capital and Tk 50 crore paid-up capital. Its board of directors will have five members-three from the bank and two from outside.
Hasina directed the officials concerned to expand its services countrywide and give low-interest loans to the farmers.
Besides, the meeting approved introducing "primary school ending examinations" and scholarship based on the results.
The proposal if implemented will do away with the primary scholarship examinations.
It says the certificates to be issued on successful completion of primary education will he mandatory for admission to class six.