It was only recently that I discovered that one needs at least six eyes to remain functional and somewhat safe on the streets of Dhaka. Along with the two regular eyes, two more are needed on the back, and another two on the top of your head.
Without six eyes, there is every chance one may get into a fatal accident, get mugged, or, worst case scenario, get killed by construction material falling from above, not unlike the old Bugs Bunny cartoons.
Every time I walk the streets of Dhaka, I see vehicles on the wrong side of the road barrelling towards me like inebriated bulls. Often, while crossing the road, when I find my left to be totally safe and try to take that first step, another vehicle zooms past from the right side. Vehicles come from both the front and back on the single lane, even though there is a lane dedicated to the other side.
This happens so frequently and on so many roads that any newcomer visiting Dhaka might think that running on the wrong side of lane is legal, every motorist blessed by the Dhaka Metropolitan authorities to flout the rules as they wish.
A few days ago, this situation was isolated to just the roads, but now, quite a few vehicles seem to believe that the road extends to the sidewalks as well.
Dhaka-dwellers are quite infatuated with driving their vehicles on the wrong side, so much so that many times they ply the wrong side, even when the right lane is completely free.
I witnessed a double-decker bus running on the wrong side in Gulshan the other day, even when the lane it was supposed to run on was vacant. Hell, some of them even feel proud for using the wrong side.
Every time I walk the streets of Dhaka, I see vehicles on the wrong side of the road barrelling towards me like inebriated bulls. Often, while crossing the road, when I find my left to be totally safe and try to take that first step, another vehicle zooms past from the right side
When discussing the issue of vehicles taking the wrong lane, it’s worth noting that our ministers, and most government high-ups, tend to outperform everyone. Newspapers often publish photographs in which vehicles belonging to ministers and high-ranking civil service officials, and even law-enforcement officials (oh the irony!) are seen taking wrong-side of the road.
Time and again, these photos are published in newspapers, people get angry, but in the end, nothing is ever done about the issue.
Don’t get confused, it’s not like Dhaka has a dearth of problems that I’m harping on about this one specific issue. Of all the large-scale construction work that are underway in Dhaka, very few of the contractors are taking proper safety measures for their construction sites, sites that are actually death traps.
Often, pedestrians are killed on Dhaka’s streets as heavy stones or bricks fall from the construction sites. Which is why we need two other eyes to look overhead.
The eyes over our head are necessary for another Dhaka problem: Muggers here are very innovative. They snatch away cellphones from the rooftop of a CNG auto-wheeler through holes cut on the CNG’s ceiling. If only these geniuses were hired to re-think how our roads work.
It seems that two eyes are not enough when navigating the mire that is Dhaka, at least if you want to live while doing so. I used to think that things will eventually improve, but in the last couple of months, I have learned to abandon such wishful thinking.
Things are getting worse day by day. We either need to evolve to becoming six-eyed monstrosities like I mentioned, or quit this city for good.