Red carpet-like mat rolled out for safety of advisers: DNCC

A ‘red carpet-like mat’ was rolled out on a makeshift walkway connecting to the bank with the floating excavator on a canal in Dhaka’s Mirpur on Sunday morning for safety issues, the Dhaka North City Corporation said.

“There was no motive for wasting money or showing additional respect rather the red carpet like mat was used only for safety concerns to avoid slips on the walkway,” a statement signed by the Dhaka North City Corporation’s Public Relations Officer Mokbul Hossain said on Sunday.

Earlier in the morning, an event was held on the road adjacent to the Baunia canal in the Rupshi Pro-Active Village Residential Area of Mirpur-13 in the morning to open the renovation work of six canals in Dhaka South and North cities.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Water Resources Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Housing and Public Works and Industries Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives and Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain attended the event.

A pontoon set up on the canal prior to the event. A makeshift walkway was set up connecting to the bank of the canal with the pontoon and a ‘red carpet’ was rolled out on it. At one stage, the three advisers and other officials, however, took the walkway to reach the pontoon and inaugurated the canal renovation work.

The statement said journalists asked about rolling out a red carpet on the walkway. The DNCC authorities stated that the floating excavator is set up on a temporary pontoon not a permanent one. The walkway was sloppy and muddy and the floor of the excavator was also slippery. So, a red carpet like mat was used to ensure safe movement of the guests and make the movement area noticeable.

The city authorities noticed very carefully that media reported that guests walked the red carpet to reach the floating excavator on the canal and inaugurated the canal renovation. No red carpet was rolled out officially, it was just an arrangement for safety purposes, the statement added.