Tarana's bus ride home

Like thousands of Dhaka dwellers, State Minister for Information Tarana Halim yesterday used public transport as the means of commuting from office to home.

Around 12:30pm, she got out of her secretariat office, went to the nearby Purana Paltan area and boarded a bus from in front of the GPO like any other passenger.

She reached her Gulshan residence in the afternoon after a two-hour trip, due to traffic jam.

Tarana did not take any police protocol. She was accompanied by an assistant private secretary of the ministry and her personal officer.

Enayet Hossain, the ministry's public relations officer, said the state minister boarded a “Number 6” bus. She got off at Gulshan-1 intersection and walked home.

Such decision of a government high-up surprised passengers as well as the driver and helper of the bus, Enayet quoted her as saying.

She took the decision as people often blame ministers, state ministers or lawmakers of not paying heed to the ongoing traffic chaos which commuters have to face on a regular basis, he said.

“They [commuters] hope that MPs and ministers would use public transport like others...,” he said.

He also said from now on Tarana would use public transport whenever she gets a chance.