Law commission chairman for changing traffic law

Law Commission Chairman Justice ABM Khairul Haque today expressed opinion for changing existing traffic law to prevent growing number of road accidents.

The former chief justice came up with the observations while talking to journalists after coming out of his meeting with Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain at Supreme Court.

Law Commission Member Justice ATM Fazle Kabir was also with him at the meeting, BSS reported.

"We have discussed the traffic law with the chief justice and I think it needed to be changed. The reason is that the punishment for driving a vehicle without license, in the existing law, is not appropriate for the time," Justice Haque said.

"If the people of the country think the traffic law needed to be changes, it will be changed. If they think opposite, then it would not be changed. People will continue to be killed. People are losing their limbs, getting killed. It cannot go on. But only increasing punishment will not bring any good unless it does not get enforced," he added.

The law commission chairman also emphasized on changing mentality, saying, "The owner of the vehicle, that is causing the accident, can also lose his child the next day. The magistrate, who is fining only Taka 400 and letting the accident causing driver to go, too can lose his child tomorrow. But in spite of all these, I personally think the traffic law must be changed."

Justice Haque further said he discussed matters like commercial court, commercial dispute and arbitration with the chief justice.