Restriction perplexes people

Desperate to stop bomb attacks, the government yesterday indefinitely banned bikers from carrying passengers on the back seat.

To ensure safety of launches and their passengers, launch owners will sell tickets of cabins after checking the national identity cards of travellers.

The ban on motorcycle will hugely affect around 11 lakh bikers and their families who depend on the small vehicle for travelling.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges issued an order in this regard following complaints that bike-riding criminals are hurling petrol and crude bombs targeting vehicles and law enforces in the capital and elsewhere in the country during the ongoing blockade.

The step was taken to ensure security of the people, said the order. If anybody is found guilty of violating the order, law enforcers will take necessary actions against those in line with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1983.

TROUBLE FOR BIKERS

Around 4:15pm, Shahabuddin along with his co-rider Aminul was heading to Phulbaria from their home in the capital's Demra. As they reached the police headquarters, cops intercepted them and compelled Shahabuddin to leave Aminul on the way and drive away.

“How can I carry food to my patient at the hospital if police do not allow a co-rider on my motorbike,” questioned Selim Reza, who carries food to his patient at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Nazrul at Farmgate said, “I always take my wife to her office and my kid to his school on my bike, which I won't be able to do due to the ban.”

Asked whether the family members of a biker can travel as co-passengers, Road Transport and Bridges Secretary MAN Siddique said, “We've made it clear in the order that none other than the biker would be allowed.”

He said the cabinet committee on law and order at a meeting on Wednesday made the decision.

Earlier on December 29 in 2013, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) had imposed a ban on carrying passengers on bikes to check criminal activities and ensure security of people.

Amid an uproar from different quarters, the ban was lifted after three days.

NID CARDS FOR LAUNCH CABIN

While selling tickets of cabins, launch owners will ask passengers to produce their national identity cards.

The instructions came from a meeting at the BIWTA headquarters on Wednesday.

“At the meeting, we discussed safety of passengers and vessels with the law enforcers," said Shafiqul Haque, director (marine safety and traffic) of BIWTA.

“We decided to check the national ID cards of cabin passengers, but it has not been made mandatory till now. However, we started implementing the decision,” he told The Daily Star last evening.