A 14-year-old’s experience of controlling traffic on the streets of Dhaka

During the weeks that followed the resignation of the former Prime Minister, Bangladesh descended into chaos. Being without a government for a few days, it was natural for any country to be in unrest. 

However, even in these challenging times, Bangladeshi citizens, especially the country's youth, proved how useful they can be. In the absence of the police, students took it upon themselves to control traffic across the country.

I live in Mohammadpur, and right in front of my house are crossroads where traffic control plays a vital role. I noticed how older students were controlling the cars and other vehicles on the roads. I was honestly amazed at how nicely a usually crowded area was operating without any issues. I had this tugging feeling that I should be down there as well helping them in any way possible. 

One day, I noticed a number of people on the roads and they were having a tough time controlling the traffic on it. I could not stand it any longer and wanted to help out, so I went down with my ID card hung around my neck. 

At first, I was feeling nervous. What if I am not accepted? Will people even listen to me? These questions began to bug me. However, I shrugged off those feelings. I also had my family observing me from time to time from our house which had a clear view of me.

I was given a pretty easy job at first which was to indicate the different lanes for people to pass through. As the seniors noticed me doing my job dutifully, I was shifted to a different area, where I was the main controller of the traffic on the road. From time to time, I had to look back and take note of my coordinator for signals on whether to let the queue pass or not. 

What amazed me was how nicely other people were listening to us students and obeying the traffic rules and regulations. Of course, some people were unable to follow the rules, but they were very understanding when other students corrected them. Many people were also bringing us food and drinks to keep us energised which boosted my spirits.

From being a part of the traffic to becoming a traffic controller, I realised how hard a job it was for the traffic police. At all times, we students were getting pretty stressed controlling the traffic. But I felt really good knowing that despite being very young, I performed my duties to my country when it needed me. God bless our country, Bangladesh!

The author is a grade 8 student at S.F.X Greenherald International School, Dhaka.