Violating traffic rules
This morning (19 Feb) sometimes after 9:am, I was coming up the Gulshan Avenue (south to north) towards the first circle intersection, when a police pick-up with horn blaring was leading a Bangladesh flagged car.
These two vehicles overtook the rush hour heavy traffic, and without waiting for the lights to change; drove right through the cross traffic heading towards the second circle!
This was as rash and dangerous driving as one could imagine; and that too by a high official! Imagine what would have happened if a car coming on its right of way would have dashed into the police-up or the flagged car?
Normally with the right of way; the car dashing could not have been faulted; rather the car that could have been dashed was driving recklessly and dangerously, across normal traffic; during busy hours!
This incident naturally upset the traffic stream, and must have caused anxious moments for many drivers. Luckily, the cars stopped timely; and no car was dashed from behind! This sort of dangerous and reckless driving across a busy road crossing at the busiest time of the day cannot be imagined anywhere except in Bangladesh; where rights and rank go hand in hand!
It was a punishable traffic offence; and an example of law breaking through misuse of power and status; by none other than the police; the so-called custodian of the law!
No wonder ordinary people do not trust the police; who have different set of rules for different people! This is one form of corruption that will remain with us; and is in a sense the seed of corruption being planted by the high and mighty!
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