Vehicles carrying livestock cannot be stopped without specific information, Additional Inspector General of Police and Highway Police chief Md Shahabuddin Khan has said. He said the destination will be written on the front and back of every livestock vehicle, and anyone who obstructs them will not be tolerated.

He said this at a coordination meeting at the Highway Police headquarters at the APBN headquarters in Uttara in the capital on Wednesday afternoon (14 June). The meeting was held to keep highways safe and free of traffic jams ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

At the meeting a trader complained that extortion takes place on trucks carrying livestock on the roads. Responding, the additional IGP said volunteers at no cattle market can force vehicles in or block them. For this reason, the destination must be written on the front and back of every livestock vehicle, leaving no room for extortion. "Passengers and those involved in transport can rest assured there will be no extortion," he said.

On allegations that drugs are carried on livestock trucks, he said there will be specific surveillance on the matter. "We will keep watch and oversight so that drug dealers get no opportunity."

The meeting was attended by Highway Police DIG Mozammel Haque, various officials of the DMP traffic division, and stakeholders including Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association general secretary Md Abdul Mannan, Shyamoli Paribahan owner Ramesh Chandra Ghosh and owners of various garment factories.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.