Dhaka, Aug 14: Several Bangladeshi students, who were behind the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, are still controlling traffic on the roads in the country despite traffic police personnel rejoining their workplaces.
Almost all of the country’s police officers went into hiding, afraid of reprisals for the force’s role in the deaths of hundreds of young protesters demanding the scrapping of quotas in government service jobs.
In such a situation, the students came out on the streets and tried to regulate traffic. However, traffic police personnel rejoined their workplaces on Monday.
Still, the students say they do not want to leave the traffic management to the designated units of the police, The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
Even on Wednesday, students were seen controlling traffic on the roads. There are also members of Ansar, Border Guard Bangladesh Red Crescent, Scouts and Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC). A limited number of traffic police were also seen on the roads.
Students were managing traffic, checking licenses and reminding people to use helmets.
The students say that they want to stay on the streets until full order is restored.
Meanwhile, traffic police personnel say that students have played a commendable role in controlling traffic during a critical period. But now that the traffic policemen have rejoined work, the students are no longer needed there.
Enayet Ullah, a student of psychology at Dhaka College and a volunteer of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society said: “We have been working on traffic control since August 7 on behalf of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.
“There are no instructions for us to move off the roads yet. Since the traffic police have started working, we no longer need to be on the streets. But we are ready to contribute to the country if required in the future as well,” Ullah said.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police said: “We have already discussed the matter with the students. They can leave the roads if they want to.” (PTI)
