Chief Executive Officer of Sylhet City criticised for riding motorbike without helmet
Mohammad Rezai Rafin Sarkar, who is also a joint secretary of the government, uploaded the 58-second video of himself riding the motorcycle without a helmet on his Facebook account on Wednesday. His wife was on the back of the motorcycle, not wearing a helmet either.
Rezai Rafin wrote alongside the video, “At 6:30 this morning, I rode a bike for a while on the Airport Road in Sylhet. The road was empty and that’s why I didn’t wear a helmet. However, riding a bike without a helmet is not right. Next time I will definitely use a helmet.”
The Facebook post met with a volley of criticsm. In the comments section under the video posted by the CEO, many criticised him for riding a motorcycle without a helmet. In addition, many netizens in Sylhet shared the video on Facebook, saying that under the country’s existing traffic laws, helmets are mandatory for both drivers and passengers. They argued that as a high-ranking government official, such behavior was inappropriate. They said it reflected not only irresponsibility but also disregard for the law.
When contacted today at 4:28 pm on Friday, Mohammad Rezai Rafin Sarkar told Prothom Alo, “I also posted a message along with the video. There I mentioned not wearing a helmet and said that I would wear one in the future. It was very early in the morning. The road was empty, and there were no vehicles. So I did not wear a helmet. That was not right. It will not happen again in the future.” He also said, “I usually ride motorcycles wearing a helmet. For the purpose of making the video, I rode without a helmet for less than one minute.”
Immediately after speaking with this reporter, Mohammad Rezai Rafin Sarkar deleted the video from Facebook.
Abdul Karim Chowdhury, coordinator of Sangkhubdha Nagarik Andolon Sylhet, told Prothom Alo, “Since he (Rezai Rafin Sarkar) uploaded the video on Facebook himself, there is no need to prove the matter separately. A case and fine should be imposed against him under the existing law for riding a motorcycle without a helmet. If that can be ensured, it will send a positive message to society. The principle that everyone is equal before the law will then be firmly established.”