"If we can ensure curbing the practice of overtaking, it will not only bring discipline in the traffic management, but also in national attitude," she said.

The prime minister again called for private sector initiatives to construct parking lot in the capital.

The 37-storied new project, to be implemented in three years, has been named "City Centre" that will have nine floors of parking facilities for about 500 cars at a time.

In mid 2003, Belhasa Accom JV of the United Arab Emirates expressed its intention to the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) to develop the plot on a 77:23 ratio basis under the project, which is likely to cost Tk 70 crore.

Apart from the total floor area of 479,500 square feet, which includes three floors of hospitality services, the building complex will also have a rooftop helipad.

Ministers, MPs, city planners and local leaders attended the function, also addressed by Local Govern-ment, Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, DCC Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka, Works and Housing Minister Mirza Abbas, Managing Director of Belhasa Accom Majid Belhasa and DCC Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Habibur Rahman.

Four-and-a-half-month ago, the prime minister also inaugurated the work on the first commercial-cum-parking complex in Motijheel Commercial Area.

Addressing the function, the prime minister hoped that the implementation of the two commercial-cum-parking complexes would reduce traffic congestion in the busy commercial area to a large extent.

She pointed out that the Dhaka city was not planned as a capital of an independent country and the matter was overlooked for a long even after independence, leading to unplanned growth and traffic problem.

The prime minister said her government had initiated development efforts that include construction of flyovers at some of the important points to remove the accumulated problems.

She also said the government was contemplating to set up underground railway in the city for which foreign assistance has been sought.