Expressing solidarity with the campaign, former adviser to the caretaker government Dr Akbar Ali Khan called for addressing a number of issues, including the existing law and its application, training of all stakeholders and launch of highway patrol.

Without adequate information and documents, it is not possible to take effective measures to ensure road safety, he added.

The convention titled 'Application of existing law and formulation of new law to prevent road accidents' was held at the Shishu Academy auditorium in the city yesterday.

Stressing the need for proper monitoring, Dr Akbar said, "The parliamentary standing committee on communications ministry could arrange 'hearing' twice a year where the government would apprise the people of measures taken to check road accidents."

He also laid emphasis on freeing the transport sector from criminalisation. "A vested quarter has grabbed the transport sector...The road safety movement has to forge resistance against these enemies."

Presiding over the programme, Nirapad Sarak Chai Chairman Ilias Kanchan lamented that they have been lobbying the government for long to take effective measures to ensure road safety, but the response from the bodies concerned is very slow.

"The highway traffic and road security council are the direct outcome of our movement...But it is a matter of great regret that those bodies completely failed to fulfil the objectives," he said.

Citing that 10,000 people are killed and 25,000 people maimed and resources worth Tk 5000 crore damaged due to road accidents every year, he said, "We also placed our demands to the caretaker government, but no measures have so far been taken to reduce the rate of road accidents."

Criticising the past government, Kanchan said that in response to a UN request to send a delegation of six members from families who have lost their near and dear ones in road accidents to Geneva, the then government tried to send a minister's son and his relatives.

"In response to our request, the UN observed World Health Day in 2004 with the slogan of road safety, but we could not send our representatives. Sensing nepotism, the UN organisations in Bangladesh finally stopped sending any representatives from the country," he said.

Mohammad Yasin Ali, managing director of Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd, called on the affluent people to join the movement and also insisted on raising awareness about the issue.