For the past four days, students have been managing Dhaka's chaotic traffic, ensuring that vehicles stay in their designated lanes, enforcing helmet use, and bringing a semblance of order to the streets. They have been on duty in various parts of the city, compelling people to follow traffic regulations.
The Fire Service, Ansar and Village Defence Force, Bangladesh Rover Scouts, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps, and many volunteers have joined the students in managing traffic as there is no traffic police. General citizens have also supported them by providing food, drinks, and other necessities.
During a visit to Dhaka’s Bijoy Shoroni, Mirpur-10, ECB, Farmgate, and Karwan Bazar on Friday, this correspondent observed that although there were fewer vehicles on the road, students from schools, colleges, and universities were controlling traffic using whistles, sticks, and hand signals.
However, the presence of Ansar members on the streets Friday was minimal. Essentially, students and common people are managing the busiest streets of Dhaka. Local buses are maintaining lanes and no longer stopping randomly to pick up passengers.
The general public and various vehicles are now moving smoothly and comfortably, and extortion from rickshaw and easybike drivers within the city has stopped. Notably, due to the students' vigilance, motorcycle riders are now compelled to wear helmets.
Moin Mursalin Dipto, a class ten student from Monipur High School and College, told The Business Post, “We are monitoring traffic just as we did during the road safety movement in 2018. The police are not on the road, and without them, the public would suffer greatly.
"So, we have taken to the streets to ensure the public doesn’t have to endure hardship. We will remain on the roads until the traffic police or the relevant authorities resume their duties. The Fire Service and other government agencies are helping us as well,” Dipto added.
The newly appointed Inspector General of Police, Md Mainul Islam, called all police personnel to return to duty within the next 24 hours at a press conference held at the police headquarters on Wednesday afternoon.
Both male and female students have been working to maintain specific lanes, often standing in the middle of the capital’s busiest streets. However, standing in the middle of the road due to lack of proper training and experience puts the students at high risk of accidents.
Experts urge related concerns to take immediate actions in this regard. Adil Mohammed Khan, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, said, “What students are doing is not sustainable. They are risking their lives. Every government institution needs reforms.
“Traffic police dress should be changed as it lost its acceptance. Before police come back to their duties, authorities can deploy armies on a small scale to maintain the traffic system as early as possible.”
“When the traffic police return to their duty, the students will go back to their studies. But until then, we welcome their initiative because we are benefiting from their work.”
Students are willingly communicating with each other in an organized way through social media.
Sourav Shaha, a student of Sher-E-Bangla Nagar Government Boys' High School, was on duty controlling traffic at the Farmgate signal. He said, "I learned about this from a local messenger group on Facebook. I started work at 11 am today and will continue until 5 pm."
When asked why he was controlling traffic, Sourav said, "This country is ours. Our movement and the sacrifices of our brothers freed this country from tyranny. Shouldn't I do my part for the country now? I'm doing this small task to help build the nation."
Residents of the capital have welcomed the students' voluntary work. In some areas, people distributed food and water to the students.
One such resident, an engineer named Farooq, said, "I have lived in Dhaka for almost 20 years, but I have never seen the streets so orderly. This is because everyone respects the students. So, I will bring some food and drinks for them."
Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5th due to mass protests after the quota reform movement, police stations across the country, including those in Dhaka, faced attacks, arson, and the killing of police officers.
In protest against these attacks and the killing of their colleagues, traffic police went on an indefinite strike. As traffic congestion increased, students from various educational institutions voluntarily took on the responsibility of managing traffic at deserted signals, starting yesterday.
