Khandkar Golam Farooq, the outgoing police commissioner of Dhaka, expects that if the metro rail and elevated expressway projects are fully implemented, the problem of traffic congestion in Dhaka will be reduced by 60 percent.
He says that where a city should have 25 percent roads, Dhaka has only 6 percent. Although the vehicle capacity of this amount of roads is 2 lakh, 15 to 16 lakh vehicles of various types ply in Dhaka city every day.
“60 percent of this problem can be overcome if the metro rail project, elevated expressway project is completed.”
The outgoing police commissioner was addressing a farewell reception at the Bangladesh Police Auditorium in Rajarbagh on Thursday. Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) presided over the event organized by Traffic Department. Munibur Rahman.
Ghulam Farooq said, “Traffic management in Dhaka city is very challenging. By facing hundreds of challenges, the members of the traffic police are working tirelessly and showing their skills in de-congesting the traffic.”
The outgoing commissioner commented that DMP’s traffic police, burnt in the sun and wet by the rain, performed their duties ‘like robots’ and kept the wheel of Dhaka running.
He said, “A civilized traffic system requires four ‘E’s. The police only perform law enforcement duties there. If education, engineering and environment can be coordinated with this, it is possible to control traffic congestion in Dhaka city.”
Additional Commissioner of Police (Admin) AKM Hafiz Akhtar reminisced about various aspects of Ghulam Farooq’s professional and personal life at the event. Officers of various ranks and policemen working in the traffic department were present on the occasion.
Khandkar Ghulam Farooq took charge as the 35th Police Commissioner of DMP on 29 October 2022. He is retiring on September 30 after completing 32 years, 8 months and 10 days of service.
(Report first published on Facebook on 28 September 2023: Facebook link)
