Amid a fusillade of criticism, Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader now says, that drivers, who break rules, hold ears at the very sight of him out of fear.
His comment comes close on the heels of recent furore over a photo posted on his Facebook page of an auto-rickshaw driver doing sit-ups holding his ears in front of the minister.
In the face of public outcry, the minister had claimed that the episode was the result of a misunderstanding.
On Thursday, Quader told at a programme in Dhaka, “Now the auto-rickshaw drivers stand still holding their ears in fear of me.”
“Many said it was a violation of the Constitution. Many things had happened to the Constitution.
“But it is a common practice to blame minister for everything,” he said in response to the criticism of his Facebook post.
Many say Quader likes to ‘flaunt’ and ‘overreacts’ during his visits to see the highways.
The minister claimed accidents on the highways dropped after the ban on the three-wheelers. He hoped unfit vehicles would go off the roads.
He was taking steps to identify the drivers without licences. “We’ll have to take courageous decisions.”
Quader said he would act ‘effectively’ to ease traffic jams.
“Unbearable traffic congestions are costing us work hours. Our businesses are facing great losses.
“We’ll have to fight relentlessly against traffic jams,” he said.
Source: Bd news24
