The High Court yesterday directed the government to ban for three months heavy vehicles including lorry, truck, covered van and fuel tanker (weighing more than 15.5 tonnes) on Demra-Amulia-Rampura-Sheikher Jaiga link road in Dhaka to protect the road from damage.

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why their inability and incompetence to control traffic congestion through restraint and prohibition of heavy vehicle movement on the road should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench of Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice AKM Jahirul Hoque came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Qamrul Hasan Khan Pathan, a residence of Banasree in Rampura seeking necessary directives from the HC.

The petition was filed to protect the link road from damage and traffic congestion.

Secretary to the ministry of Road, Transport and Bridges, home secretary, inspector general of police, Bangladesh Road Transport Association's chairman, chief engineer and engineers of Roads and Highways Department, Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner and its additional commissioners, officer-in-charge of Rampura and Khilgaon police stations, and sub-division engineers of Roads and Highways Department have been made respondents to the rule, petitioner's lawyer Barrister Golam Sarwar told The Daily Star.