MP assaults taxi driver
On 17th January 2010, at around 11.15 am, I witnessed an MP, belonging to the JP, beat up a taxi driver on Gulshan Avenue in full view of the public. I was walking down Gulshan Avenue when I saw a blue taxi hit the back of a SUV at low speed and heavy traffic, near Shopper's World. I'm not sure which car was at fault but that is not of concern. The headlights of the ramshackle taxi broke on impact while the SUV suffered nothing more than a few scratches. Both cars stopped in the middle of the road. I then saw the MP come out of the SUV and attack the taxi driver with a sickening volley of slaps and kicks, with scores of people watching the incident. The attack only stopped when another passenger in his car came out and restrained him and coaxed him back into the car.
It was a revolting sight to see an elected member of parliament physically assault a member of the public - someone who he is elected to represent. Such an attack would not only end the career of a parliament member in any civilized country, but it would also land him in jail given so many witnesses. Sadly nothing of that sort will happen to him. The unfortunate taxi driver would not even think of filing a case with the police. I would bet that he does not even know that he had the right to seek redress; that he was equal to the MP in the eyes of the law. Although it would not matter even if he knew and wanted to seek justice - the institutions in this country that were set up to ensure power to the people would block him at every step.
For people in positions of power in Bangladesh, kicking and slapping the common man on the street is quite the normal state of affairs. For they are high and mighty overlords who control the destinies of mere peasants like the taxi driver. What nerve of the peasant to scratch the car of the overlord! Little does it matter that the law suggests otherwise - that all power in the republic belong to the common citizen.
If the MP truly believes in democracy (which is doubtful to start with given his record of serving under a autocrat) and decency, he should publicly apologise to the taxi driver. That is a pipe dream for which I will not be holding my breath. My regret is that I was not able to react quickly enough to record the attack on my mobile phone video camera. That would at least allow the case to be presented to that great court of the people - the Internet. But it was not to be. Luck, it would seem, favours the high and mighty.
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