The government has issued urgent directives to increase patrols by the army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police, and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
According to a notification signed by Md Ziaul Haque Mir, senior assistant secretary of the Political-2 branch of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday, the following directives have been issued to ensure public safety and security during Eid-ul-Fitr:
Maintaining overall law and order across the country before Eid-ul-Fitr must be given the highest priority.
To prevent theft, robbery, mugging, extortion, and terrorist activities, members of intelligence agencies must be deployed alongside uniformed police. Additionally, checkpoints must be set up on key roads and intersections, money escorts must be provided for secure financial transfers, and necessary measures must be taken to prevent and detect counterfeit currency.
The army, BGB, police, and RAB must increase patrols in diplomatic areas of the capital, important locations, and major cities and ports across the country.
Owners of garment factories and other industries, including BGMEA and BKMEA, along with the industrial police, must take necessary measures to ensure that wages, allowances, and bonuses are paid to workers before Eid.
To allow the general public to shop safely for Eid, female police officers and plainclothes police must be deployed in addition to uniformed officers. Special nighttime security must be ensured in markets, and all markets must be brought under CCTV surveillance.
To ensure safe travel for homebound people during Eid, authorities must take strict measures to prevent overcharging on buses, trains, and launches. Additionally, irregularities in ferry terminals and illegal queue-jumping for extra fees must be stopped, overloading of passengers must be avoided, and extortion in transport services must be strictly controlled.
Effective measures must be taken to reduce traffic congestion in the capital and across the country during Eid-ul-Fitr.
To prevent traffic congestion at Jamuna Bridge, Padma Bridge, flyovers, and toll plazas, electronic toll collection (ETC) must be utilized to expedite toll collection.
The Road Transport and Highways Division must install IP/CCTV cameras at 155 identified traffic congestion points and intensify monitoring before and after Eid-ul-Fitr. If necessary, drones may be used to monitor highly important areas.
For seven days before and after Eid, law enforcement agencies must not stop vehicles on roads without specific prior information.
Except for essential goods transport or passenger vehicles, all long vehicles and construction material-carrying trucks departing from land ports and river ports must be restricted from using highways or ferries three days before and three days after Eid.
Bulkhead operations on rivers must be halted five days before and five days after Eid.
To conduct rescue operations in case of sudden accidents on roads, highways, and waterways, the Fire Service and Civil Defense must keep rescue teams, rescue boats, divers, firefighting equipment, and ambulances ready. Assistance from the Coast Guard must be taken if needed.
Any broken-down or accident-affected vehicle on roads or bridges must be immediately removed or towed to a nearby vacant area. Sufficient tow trucks must be available at traffic-prone areas such as Jamuna and Padma bridges.
Besides maintaining overall law and order, a control room must be set up by the Police Headquarters and other law enforcement agencies to regulate traffic. All control rooms must maintain communication with the Ministry of Home Affairs' Central Joint Operation Center (01320001223). Additionally, these control rooms must be connected to the National Emergency Service (999) to coordinate efforts in maintaining road discipline.
