New PM leads by example

Less than 12 hours after his maiden address to the nation reaffirming that every citizen of Bangladesh enjoys equal rights, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was seen on Thursday morning waiting at traffic signals in his personal car alongside public and private vehicles.

The sight appeared unprecedented to many city dwellers, who are accustomed to long delays caused by VIP movements.

The prime minister left his residence on Gulshan Avenue at 8:34am and reached his office at the Secretariat at 9:15am, spending about 41 minutes on the road.

“The vehicle had to stop at four traffic signals while travelling from Gulshan to the Secretariat, each time the lights turned red. As the prime minister’s motorcade paused at traffic signals, pedestrians lining the roadside greeted him with applause and cheers. He acknowledged their welcome with a wave,” Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman told Daily Sun.

“In some instances, people approached the vehicle to greet him, and a few even took selfies with their mobile phones,” he added.

Since assuming office, Tarique Rahman has been using his personal car instead of the vehicle allocated to the prime minister.

Earlier, Atikur Rahman Ruman said the prime minister is using his own car, his own driver and fuel purchased at his own expense.

He said the prime minister on Wednesday also travelled to Savar and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in his white Toyota SUV for the day’s programmes and later went to the Secretariat in the same vehicle.

According to Ruman, the number of vehicles in the prime minister’s motorcade has been reduced on his instructions to help ease traffic congestion.

“Until now, there were 13 or 14 vehicles in the motorcade. But it has been reduced to four,” he said, adding that the prime minister was also using a flagless car.
“The flag will be used on his car during state functions or visits by foreign guests,” he added.

Ruman further said the prime minister has decided to hold cabinet meetings at the Secretariat to avoid traffic jams caused by ministers travelling between the Secretariat and the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The common people face problems due to the movement of VIPs. Considering these things, the prime minister has decided to hold cabinet meetings at the Secretariat most of the time,” he said.

Sources at the prime minister’s office at the Secretariat said that after taking his seat on Thursday, Tarique Rahman enquired about which ministers, secretaries and officials were present at their respective workplaces.

Officials said he will now attend office on Saturdays as well, a move aimed at speeding up administrative activities, injecting greater dynamism into governance and ensuring faster implementation of key policies.

Earlier, in a meeting of the BNP’s parliamentary committee, Tarique Rahman announced that party lawmakers would no longer be granted duty-free cars or residential plots, a decision that has been widely welcomed.

He also directed ministers to curb unnecessary expenditure and maintain strict austerity in government spending.

The prime minister himself has been attending official programmes wearing simple white shirts, avoiding suits, blazers and other expensive attire.

Political observers have welcomed the approach of the country’s new prime minister, expressing hope that Tarique Rahman will continue to lead by example and translate his words into action, inspiring cabinet members and party leaders to prioritise public interest above all else.