Highway Police have formed quick response teams on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway and other highways in the Chattogram area to keep them free of extortion during the coming Eid-ul-Azha. Besides 66 patrol teams from 22 stations and outposts of the Highway Police Cumilla region, 30 quick response teams have been formed to deal with emergencies.

Highway Police superintendent Muhammad Rahmat Ullah announced the formation of the teams at the Cumilla region's coordination and monthly crime meeting on Sunday morning (18 June).

Additional superintendent of Highway Police Mohammad Farhad, circle ASPs, the officers-in-charge of the region's 22 stations and leaders of transport owners and workers were present at the meeting.

The meeting was told that besides Highway Police personnel, 100 trained members of highway community policing will be on duty in special uniforms.

Superintendent Muhammad Rahmat Ullah said he would personally oversee order on the highways with a special team. If no untoward accident happens on the highways, the Eid journey home will again be comfortable and safe, he said.

Highway Police said the coordination meeting asked for five government and 12 private wreckers to be kept ready to clear any accident or obstruction. Enough ambulances have also been kept to deal with any accident.

The meeting directed that no vehicle be stopped on the highways before Eid without a specific complaint. Two Highway Police intelligence teams will also work for a week before and after Eid. A full control room and five sub-control rooms have been set up to run the whole operation.

Superintendent Muhammad Rahmat Ullah said that ahead of the Eid of sacrifice, no organisation or ring will be allowed to extort anywhere on the 821 km of national and regional highways in the Cumilla region, including the Dhaka-Chattogram and Chattogram-Cox's Bazar highways.

He said no one may forcibly unload sacrificial animals from a vehicle anywhere other than its set destination. If needed, highway patrols will help the vehicle reach its designated market. Strict action will be taken as soon as any complaint of extortion is received, he said.

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