Movement for a genuine cause

The way the government has been responding to the crisis of road accidents over the years, particularly in the last few days, represents blatant denial of people's constitutional right to life, freedom of expression and assembly, said Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).

The transport authorities have not only failed to protect those fundamental rights of citizens but also colluded and protected the anarchy on the roads, he added.

He said in any form of democratic government one cannot be a minister while at the same time be the leader of associations and unions of the same portfolio as the ministry. Regrettably, no one else in the power structure seems to care about it either.

“The first and most indispensable step therefore, is to demonstrate that the government is sensitive to the genuine cause of the movement led by schoolchildren and hence makes the way for the ministers representing conflict of interest to step down,” he said.

The next necessary step is to ensure that law enforcing authorities realise that people who pay for their salary and benefits expect them to abide, uphold and enforce laws, not to violate the same.

Those who mercilessly and indiscriminately applied brutal force on the students, forgetting that many of them may have kids of their own must be brought to justice, said the TIB executive director.

He said police brutality has once again shown how important it is to enforce drastic police reforms.

Law violators causing deaths and injuries on roads should be held accountable, and laws should be reformed to ensure deterrent punishment, he concluded.