The Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, has publicly asserted that traffic regulations apply uniformly to all individuals, explicitly stating that high-ranking public officials and the Prime Minister must comply with identical statutory rules. However, shortly after delivering these definitive remarks during an official institutional press briefing, the Commissioner’s personal vehicular convoy was observed breaching a restricted road crossing. On-duty police personnel temporarily dismantled an established public traffic barricade on Minto Road to facilitate his direct transit back to the police headquarters.
Institutional Commitments to Uniform Traffic Enforcement
On the afternoon of Thursday, 4 June 2026, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police convened a formal press briefing at the DMP Media Centre situated on Minto Road. The primary objective of the media briefing was to outline the law enforcement agency’s recent successes and ongoing operational strategies regarding metropolitan public order and urban traffic management within Dhaka. During the session, the metropolitan police chief directly addressed widespread public concerns regarding the frequent violation of traffic regulations by government-owned, military, and law enforcement transport vehicles operating within the capital city.
When specifically questioned by members of the press corps regarding the targeted operational strategies designed to curb unlawful driving practices among public sector officials and state employees, Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed reiterated that the statutory framework governing traffic containment allows for no systemic or institutional exemptions. He emphasized that explicit operational directives had been formally issued to all active traffic personnel, instructing them to penalise any public servant or police officer found to be in breach of the law.
“Traffic regulations are entirely uniform for everyone, whether a vehicle belongs to the public or the private sector. We have delivered a completely unambiguous message to our police personnel that statutory action will be taken against anyone who violates traffic rules. Furthermore, our Prime Minister, Tariq Rahman, strictly adheres to traffic laws during his transits. Our institutional stance remains entirely clear: whoever violates traffic regulations will face appropriate legal enforcement,” stated Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed during the briefing.
Logistical Specifics of the Minto Road Convoy Incident
Despite the explicit public assurances delivered during the press briefing, the Commissioner’s transport detail did not utilize the designated route specified for ordinary public commuters when returning to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Headquarters. Under the standard traffic management layouts established on Minto Road, civilian motor vehicles intending to travel towards the DMP Headquarters, Bailey Road, or Kakrail are structurally prohibited from crossing at that specific junction. Instead, regular commuters are legally required to navigate a lengthy geographic detour extending northwards towards Moghbazar to execute a lawful U-turn beneath the flyover infrastructure, or alternatively utilize Hare Road to circumvent the barrier.
A local motorcyclist, identified as Mohammad Jassim Uddin, who frequently commutes through the Minto Road corridor, verified that the particular junction remains completely closed to the general public at all times. He noted that regular drivers are strictly forced to comply with the lengthy Moghbazar detour or navigate via Hare Road to reach their destinations, with no exceptions granted to ordinary citizens.
However, immediately following the conclusion of the press conference, active police personnel stationed at the Minto Road intersection were observed physically removing the tri-conical road cones and rope barriers that form the standard public blockade. Two police officers took up positions on either side of the closed crossing and temporarily halted the flow of moving traffic along both arterial lanes of the main road.
The security detail kept the regular civilian traffic completely stationary until the DMP Commissioner’s vehicular convoy successfully passed through the unscheduled opening. Immediately after the official convoy completed its crossing towards the police headquarters, the on-duty officers re-established the rope barricades and traffic cones, returning the junction to its restricted state.
Comparison of Commuter Routing and Official Exemptions
| Commuter Classification | Mandated Route Requirements | On-Site Operational Status |
| General Public / Civilian Drivers | Must execute a lengthy detour via Moghbazar flyover U-turn or Hare Road. | Strictly prohibited from crossing; barriers remain locked. |
| Prime Minister Tariq Rahman | Stated to move in normal traffic without cordons or road closures. | Unrestricted by standard roadblocks per official police statements. |
| DMP Commissioner’s Convoy | Bypassed the standard Moghbazar detour route post-briefing. | Temporary removal of rope and cone barricades by active personnel. |
The temporary closure of the public highway to accommodate the official convoy directly contrasts with recent police briefings, which indicate that roads are no longer cordoned off or blocked even for the movements of Prime Minister Tariq Rahman. The immediate reinstatement of the barrier highlighted the ongoing disparity between official regulatory rhetoric and field-level transit practices within the capital.