Chattogram city to build 38 foot overbridges; work already under way on 21

The Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) has taken an initiative to build 38 foot overbridges in the city to ensure the safe movement of pedestrians. Construction work on 21 of them is already under way.

CCC Administrator Dr Shahadat Hossain disclosed the information on Monday (2 November) while speaking as chief guest at a prize-giving ceremony and student gathering for an essay competition organised by the Chattogram metropolitan committee of 'Nirapad Sarak Chai'.

He said construction of the 21 foot overbridges is ongoing. Alongside, there is a plan to introduce artificial intelligence-based (AI) traffic management at 28 important points in the city, with an initiative to launch the system at two locations within the next month.

He stressed the need for foot overbridges and zebra crossings so students can cross roads safely. He also mentioned a plan to build overpasses in rail-crossing areas to strengthen road safety and reduce congestion and accidents there.

The CCC administrator said the busy Chattogram-Cox's Bazar highway runs right beside the event venue, and that road accidents occur frequently, especially in the Moizzartek area. Students must therefore be extremely careful while crossing the road, looking carefully left and right and judging vehicle movement before crossing at a safe place.

Citing careless mobile phone use as one of the causes of road accidents, he said many students talk on the phone or watch videos while crossing the road, while others cross in groups, chatting as they go. That diverts attention from nearby vehicles and raises the risk of accidents.

He said people must refrain from using mobile phones while on the road, and drivers, too, must drive responsibly. A little awareness and caution can save many lives, he remarked.

Calling on students to be socially responsible and to protest injustice, Dr Shahadat Hossain said students had taken to the streets against injustice in July-August 2024, and that courage and sense of duty must be applied against every wrong in society. If they see eve-teasing, teen gangs, extortion or anti-social activity anywhere, they should protest responsibly and lawfully and cooperate with law-enforcement agencies.

Urging citizens to be responsible about cleanliness and dengue prevention, he said rainwater collecting in discarded coconut shells on the streets can breed Aedes mosquitoes, while banana peels can make pedestrians slip and fall. Litter must therefore be thrown in designated places, not anywhere. The city corporation wants to build Chattogram into a clean, green, safe and modern city, he added.