Students stop police car, driver fails to show licence

Students who took to the streets over the last four days demanding safe roads have started policing delinquent drivers.

A midday scene that played out in Dhanmondi on Wednesday illustrates the vigilant steps by the students who lost two of their fellows to a road crash on Jul 29. 

A police vehicle was stopped by a group of students in front of Harun Eye Hospital and its driver failed to show his licence.

As the students blocked the way for the vehicle, one of them in school uniform with a bag on his back said they would not allow the driver to leave the scene.

Arbinda Samaddar, a police constable who was behind the wheel, shot back. “We work for the government; the government hasn’t appointed us without checking driving licences.”

“This pick-up delivers food. We don’t carry our licence while working,” he said when bdnews24.com asked him why he failed to show his driving licence.

The police van remained stuck for about half an hour until other police members stepped in and persuaded students to return the key.

However, not all drivers unable to show licences were lucky enough to get back their keys. Many of them were seen requesting the students to return the keys.

The scene is part of a broader street protest that has intensified by the day since two students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College were run over by a Jabale Noor bus on Sunday. 

The bustling capital, known for its overwhelming traffic chaos, came to a standstill as protests simmered.

Agitated students in parts of the city, including Farmgate, Shahbag and Science Laboratory intersection, stopped vehicles and asked drivers to show their driving licences.

The students seized the keys of those vehicles whose drivers were unable to show licences, leaving them immobile on roads.    

“They drive on the roads without a licence and end up killing people like us. We won’t allow anyone without a licence to take their vehicles out on the streets,” said one of the student protesters.