Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in collaboration with Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), organized the ‘Poster and Slogan Contest Awards Ceremony’ for the Dhaka Road Traffic Safety Project. The award ceremony was held on June 6, 2024, at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the capital. Students from 16 schools and 11 universities around Dhaka city participated in the contest to demonstrate interest and engagement in the issue of road safety.
DMP initiated the Dhaka Road Safety Project with technical support from JICA. The project, aimed at enhancing road safety around Dhaka, focuses on multiple key areas. As part of this, DMP and JICA organized the Poster and Slogan Contest, a significant step in heightening public awareness and engaging the community. The contest, open to students from numerous educational institutions, encouraged participants to create posters and slogans highlighting the importance of road safety and responsible behavior, thereby making a tangible impact on road safety awareness.
At the heart of the event were the students whose dedication and creativity in creating the posters and slogans worked as a testament to their understanding of and commitment to road safety. Their efforts were recognized with awards under various categories, each one symbolizing a significant cause: DMP Commissioner Award, DMP Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Award, JICA Award, JETRO Award, JCIAD – Nippon Signal Award, JCIAD – Tekken Corporation Award, and DRSP Award.
On this occasion, Habibur Rahman, BPM (Bar), PPM (Bar), Commissioner, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, commented, “The students at the schools and the universities today are going to be the caretakers of the country in the future. I expect that through awareness programs like DRSP, the young population will not only be aware of traffic safety and obey the regulations themselves, but also encourage their friends and family to do the same and become ambassadors of traffic safety.”
Ichiguchi Tomohide, Chief Representative, JICA Bangladesh, said, “Over the decades, our partnership has grown stronger and JICA has extended its support to numerous sectors and projects. Under the close collaboration between DMP and JICA, the Dhaka Road Traffic Safety Project has been implemented to address the pressing issue of road safety in Dhaka city. The unique initiative marks another significant milestone in 51 years of partnership between JICA and Bangladesh. Awareness is vital for safe roads. So, I believe that posters and slogans created by the students will strengthen awareness about road safety. The activities from the students will foster a sense of responsibility among people about traffic rules, which will lead to a safer environment for all.”
Md. Munibur Rahman BPM, Project Director, DRSP & Additional Commissioner (Traffic), Dhaka Metropolitan Police delivered opening speech at the ceremony. Md. Jahangir Alam, project manager, DRSP & ADC (Traffic-Admin & Research) presented project brief and showcased DMP’s Traffic awareness activity in this program. Over 700 participants, including officials from DMP, expert team members from JICA, personnel from Japan External Trade Organization, officials from the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and students and teachers from sixteen schools and eleven universities, whose presence added immense value to the ceremony.
