KHULNA, Oct 8, 2022 (BSS) – Greater awareness of masses will curb road accidents as the government has taken steps to cut road mishaps  across the country, Mayor of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Talukder Abdul Khaleque said here today.

He was speaking as the chief guest in a view exchange meeting held at the Journalist Humayun Kabir Balu Auditorium in Khulna Press Club in the city.

Aiming for celebration of National Safe Road-2022 (Jatiya Nirapad Sarak-2022), ‘Nirapad Sarak Chai,’ a social platform led by eminent film actor Elias Kanchan, Khulna city unit organized the view exchange meeting with journalists and civil society as part of their countrywide awareness programme to prevent road accidents.

Film Actor Elias Kanchan, who is also the founder chairman of Nirapad Sarak Chai national committee, addressed as the key speaker in the meeting while President of Khulna Press Club S M Nazrul Islam chaired the meeting.

Ilias Kanchan, the National Film Award winner and Ekushey Padak awardee, initiated his road safety movement Nirapad Sarak Chai in 1993 after the death of his wife in a tragic road accident, and since then he has been working relentlessly to improve the road safety situation of Bangladesh.

Elias Kanchan said, steps should be taken to cut road accidents as soon as possible. He said that the government's development projects will not be successful unless the accident rate is reduced.

He urged everyone to follow traffic rules and stay alert. The Nischa founder also hoped that the current rate of road accidents can be throttled down. "If everyone is aware and if we follow rules and regulations, then I believe that we can reduce the accident rate by 50 percent within 2022," he said.

Khulna Police Commissioner Masudur Rahman Bhuiyan, Ex-MP Nazrul Islam Manju, executive engineer of Khulna Roads and Highway Division (R&H) Masudur Rahman and assistant director of BRTA Tanvir Ahmed, addressed as special guests.