A group of palanquin bearers carried Kamal, Javed and Benazir one by one to the stage as they (the bearers) were singing the hymn, traditionally sung when bride and groom are taken to the wedding ceremony in rural Bangladesh.
The RAB says they brought many traditional things like palanquin and puppet show to add some colours to the celebration and the minister and chiefs of the law-enforcing agencies took the palanquin rides on the bearers’ request.
As the photos of the three riding the palanquins went viral on the social media, and the comments started to pour in.
Journalist Quddus Afrad posted a photo of the event on Facebook.
“Riding on some others’ shoulder is awkward in our social and cultural atmosphere,” he wrote.
AKM Rezaul Karim commented, “It’s barbaric. Why should a human being ride other human beings’ shoulder?”
Journalist Nadira Kiron, however, sees no problem in riding a palanquin for a while on special occasion.
One Imran H Sumon supported her views, saying "it’s natural to ride palanquin on the special occasion".
“I asked those who are objecting to the palanquin ride of the home minister, IGP and RAB DG not to ride a rickshaw ever, even if you pay for this,” he wrote.
RAB spokesperson Mufti Mahmud Khan told bdnews24.com: “We brought many traditional things here to add festivity to the celebration. We brought many things like the snake charmer, monkey tricks, puppet show, husking pedal, pottery etc..”
“They (minister, IGP, RAB DG) rode palanquin on request of the bearers. The honourable minister, IGP and RAB director general rode palanquin to make the bearers happy,” he added.