Public transport, private cars to ply on polling day

Public transport like local buses or regular route buses and private cars will be allowed for movement on the polling day so that voters can go to the polling centers to cast their votes easily.

"How will the voters go to the polling centers if the movement of all transports is banned? Considering it, the government will allow public transport on polling day," said senior secretary Md Mustafizur Rahman of the Public Security Division of the Home Ministry.

Even easy bikes and auto-rickshaws, which are popular transport in rural areas, will also be allowed for movement, he said, adding that a circular will be issued in this regard within a day.

However, the movement of several vehicles, including motorcycles and speedboats, will be restricted, said the senior secretary.

Earlier, on December 31, the Road Transport and Highways Division, in a circular, imposed a ban on the movement of taxi cabs, microbuses, lorries and trucks between 12:00am on January 6 to 12:00am on January 7.

Motorbikes will not be allowed on the road from January 5 midnight to January 8 midnight, said the circular.

The ban will be flexible for law enforcers, armed forces, admin and approved observers.

All types of vehicles providing emergency services like medicine, health services and newspaper transportation will be out of the purview.

Even the transports carrying relatives of foreign travelers to and from airports will stay out of this ban but the passengers will have to show related documents like airline tickets, reads the circular.

It also said that one jeep, car, or microbus will be allowed for movement for the election candidate and the candidate's agents with proper stickers and approval from the returning officers.

Besides, the district magistrates can take necessary steps to impose a ban or relax movement of any type of motor vehicles depending on local needs and reality, the circular added.

Source: BSS