In a rare instance, police yesterday filed cases against 57 drivers and fined them for using the wrong side of Hare Road in the capital.

A state minister, a lawmaker and several top bureaucrats were in some of the vehicles.

“About 70 percent of the vehicles were carrying bureaucrats, 10 percent police and the rest were carrying media personnel, an army officer and others,” said a traffic police officer who participated in the drive.

Some of the top bureaucrats flouting traffic laws were a senior and a deputy secretary of the home ministry, an additional secretary of the ministry of communications and an officer of the public administration ministry.

Using the wrong-side of the road defying traffic laws during rush hour is a common practice of ministers, government officials, VIPs, lawmakers, ruling party leaders and media personnel.

Police are hardly ever seen taking any action.

Most of the VIPs caught red handed yesterday did not object to being penalised.

“They (VIPs) usually attempt to bend the rules and hamper our drive. But the situation was different today [yesterday]. They didn't even approach the police officers,” said an officer, requesting anonymity.

Only a lawmaker from a Narsingdhi constituency tried to say something to police, but the officer did not pay any attention, the official added.

Police conducted the drive to curb a gridlock caused by vehicles on the wrong side of roads.

Anti-Corruption Commissioner Iqbal Mahmood, who was on the road at the time, stopped near the police check post and encouraged the policemen to enforce traffic rules, sources said.

Alauddin, senior assistant commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said the drive took place between 4:00pm and 6:00pm.

Seven vehicles were fined Tk 1200-1500, he added. 

Mosleh Uddin, additional commissioner of DMP Traffic, said, “I will request all to abide by the traffic rules. With our 4,000 members in the department, we have been struggling to ease traffic jam in the city.”

He also said they usually penalise 90-100 drivers for using the wrong side of roads every day.