Isolated incident or widespread practice?

Amid the ongoing student protests for safe roads, the teen demonstrators came across someone similar to their age driving a microbus, while the actual driver was dead asleep.

Emon, the 19-year-old behind the steering wheel, could not show his driving licence or any other paper when students intercepted the vehicle yesterday.

"I've been driving this vehicle for about four years… I didn't face any trouble. I never had an accident till date. I couldn't obtain a licence, as I'm too young for that," Emon told The Daily Star confidently.

One has to be at least 21 years old to obtain a professional driving licence.

Although Emon claimed that he is 19, student protestors suspected that he is much younger. They claimed such drivers are killing people on the roads, and authorities overlook the matter in exchange for bribes.

When the students were arguing with Emon, 25-year-old Sumon Hossain, the actual driver, woke up.

"I had a headache. That's why I was sleeping and asked him to drive," Sumon told the protesters, as he was requesting them to let the vehicle pass through.

In the meantime, a passenger of the microbus, who arrived from Oman yesterday morning, offered money to a student -- triggering outrage among the protestors.

"You can influence everyone with money, but not us. We are students. We don't want money; we want safe roads," shouted a protester at the

The man then sought an apology.

Talking to The Daily Star, Sumon claimed that Emon can drive well -- that's why he asked the teenager to handle the steering wheel.

He, however, later admitted that it was wrong of him to do that.

Taking turns, Sumon and Emon drove the vehicle to Dhaka airport from Cumilla. They were going back with the Oman returnee and his family.

Students stopped the microbus at Rampura Bridge for about half-an-hour and let them go only after police filed a case.