Surrendered militants to be rehabilitated: PM
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina today in parliament offered militants that they would be rehabilitated with legal assistance if they shun the path of militancy.
In reply to lawmakers’ queries, the premier also said preparing a time-befitting standard operating procedure (SOP) is under process to instantly combat terrorist and militant acts.
“Terrorism and militancy is a threat to the country's development and security. Derailed militants who would come back from the wrong path of militancy would be provided legal assistance with rehabilitation,” Hasina, also Leader of the House said in a scripted answer.
The premier came up with the announcement when the country few months back witnessed some brutal militant attacks and several anti militant drives carried out by the law enforcement agencies in different parts of the country.
In the scripted answer, Hasina said a significant number of militants have already surrendered to the law enforcement agencies due to gearing up of social awareness through a massive anti-militancy campaign.
"Arrangements for rehabilitation with providing legal aid to the derailed militants, who would return to normal life leaving the wrong path of militancy, would be made in future.”
In this connection, she said an arrangement for rehabilitation of the militants, who have surrendered, is being made through motivation and extending cooperation.
Besides, she said, a correct list for suspected missing persons and fugitive militants has been prepared.
Sheikh Hasina said a significant number of missing persons have already been traced and many of them returned back home.
"It's one of the anti-militancy successes of the present government," she noted.
Sheikh Hasina said effective measures would be taken through law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies so that radicalization of ideology on militancy doesn't take place among the people due to online-based campaign of the militant outfits.
“A mass resistance would be put up unitedly through conducting a massive campaign against militancy together with all political organisations, religious leaders, teachers, students, guardians, intellectuals, businesspeople and professional bodies.”
Saying that Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony and the people of the country hate communalism and militancy, Hasina said, "Terrorism, communalism and militancy are threats to the balanced development and security.”
“The Awami League government took effective measures after coming to power following zero tolerance policy against militancy,” she said, "Bangladesh is now being considered as a role model in the world regarding curbing militancy.”
"Govt takes measures to check road accidents"
Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina today also said the present government has taken various steps including identification of 227 black spots on the highways to check road accidents, reports BSS.
"As many as 227 black spots have been identified through conducting a survey to check road accidents, and the remedial work on 27 black spots has already been completed," she said while replying to a tabled question from treasury bench member Qamrul Ashraf Khan (Narsingdi-2).
The prime minister said the remedial work on 31 black spots on Dhaka-Chittgaong Highway and 10 black spots on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway has been finished, while the remedial work on 15 black spots on Joydevpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga Highway is going on, BSS adds.
Sheikh Hasina said a Tk 165 crore project titled "The improvement of road safety at black spots on the national highways" for the remedial work on remaining 144 black spots is underway.
Tk 75 crore has been allocated for the project in 2016-17 fiscal year, she said, adding the progress of the project till January 2017 was 45.59 percent.
The premier said a separate lane has been kept for slow-moving vehicles along Joydevpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga Highway, Elenga-Hatikamrul-Rangpur Highway and Dhaka-Padma Bridge-Bhanga Expressway to avoid road accidents. She said the feasibility study and the work on detailed design for 1,666 kilometre highway have been completed in order to upgrade the highways to four lanes including a separate lane for slow-moving vehicles.
Sheikh Hasina said overpasses and flyovers are being constructed at different important rail crossings and intersections under various projects.
The prime minister said steps have been taken to set up five vehicles inspection centres (VICs) in four divisional cities to give fitness certificates automatically instead of manual system so that unfit vehicles don't ply the highways and roads, according to BSS.
"Activities of such an automatic VIC have already started in Mirpur, Dhaka," she added.
Sheikh Hasina said the movement of "easybike", "nasiman", "kariman", "votvoty" and battery-run vehicles and rickshaws have been banned on the national and regional highways to undertake effective measures to check road accidents and build safe roads.
She said the plying of three-wheeler auto rickshaw/tempoo and all kinds of non-mechanized vehicles on 22 national highways was banned from August 1 in 2015 for the public interest.
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