Cycle disappears after Obaidul Quader uses it for rally

Sumon Shams joined a cycle rally on occasion of World Car Free Day in Dhaka on September 22. He could not participate in the rally, as Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, who also attended the rally, borrowed Sumon’s cycle for the event. Little did Sumon knew, this was the last he would see his bicycle. For Sumon, it was more than a cycle, it was a gift from him to his wife Sharmin Akter Shormie. When asked how this came to be, Sumon told the Bangla Tribune: “I came to a rally at Manik Mia Avenue on September 22 for World Car Free Day. As an environmentalist, I brought my bicycle and kept it near the stage.” “The honourable Minister Obaidul Quader was looking for a cycle to inaugurate the rally. My cycle caught his eye, and he chose it to participate in the rally. I was very excited about it. I even took photos of Obaidul Quader riding on my cycle,” he added. Describing how he lost the cycle, Sumon said: “The honorable minister returned the cycle either to the security personnel or the organisers. However, I lost track of the cycle because of the crowd and could not find it afterwards. I informed the organisers immediately and waited until noon, but nobody responded.” Sumon is taking the loss quite seriously. He said with a heavy heart: “I was happy that Obaidul Quader rode my cycle but what happened later taught me a valuable lesson.” Speaking about the incident, Sumon’s wife Sharmie told the Bangla Tribune: “I am facing a lot of difficulties after losing the cycle because it was my everyday transport. I wanted to preserve the cycle because a minister had used it to inaugurate a rally. I want it back at any cost.” When contacted, Roads Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said he is currently inspecting the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar. He instructed a senior official of the ministry to resolve the matter. Abu Naser, a senior ministry official was contacted over the matter. He instructed the owner of the cycle to file a GD in a police station. He said he will request the police and the BRTA chairman help find the cycle.This article was first published on Bangla Tribune