Asking the students staging demonstrations on the streets to return to their educational institutions, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said it is not their duty to damage vehicles.

“Please don’t do this, please get back to your respective educational institutions, engage in your studies, those who are responsible (in recent deaths on the roads) must face punishment, they have been found out,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said this while inaugurating a mural of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the premises of Bangladesh Shishu Academy and the laying foundation of Joyeeta Foundation tower in Dhanmondi area.

The programme was arranged at Osmani Memorial Auditorium while the Prime Minister joined it virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

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“A new wave of Coronavirus is coming. If it (new wave) hits (the country), the educational institutions will be closed. So, go back to your educational institutions and concentrate on your studies,” she said.

Hasina said those who are responsible for ransacking and torching vehicles will also be identified and punished. “If anyone dies in such a vehicle (ransacked and torched), if anyone is burnt, tough punishment will be meted out. We need to keep this in mind,” she warned.

About the recent road accidents, the Prime Minister said law enforcement agencies are very much aware and alert and the culprits have been captured already taking help from the video footage and modern technologies.

The Prime Minister urged all to remain cautious and careful on the roads and strictly follow traffic rules. “There’re specific places to cross roads. If people try to cross roads indiscriminately then accidents will happen. A moving vehicle cannot stop abruptly. It has to happen slowly,” she said.

She came down heavily on those who always block roads, damage vehicles and put vehicles on fire after any accident instead of helping the victim to get quick treatment.

“There’re passengers, children and students in those vehicles that are set on fire, if anyone is hurt, burnt and dies, who will take the responsibility?” she questioned, adding, “The attackers have to take the responsibility, naturally.”

The law enforcement agencies should take steps regarding this, too. “So, I’ll request everyone, please don’t take law in your hands,” she said.

Hasina also asked the drivers to drive vehicles with utmost caution. “Ours is a densely populated country. “Naturally, when you want to drive here, you have to receive proper training.

Terming the death of a student very painful and regretful, the Prime Minister mentioned that she was unable to understand the mystery of two deaths by two garbage-laden trucks of south and north Dhaka city corporations.

“What’s the reason? It has to be dug out who’s responsible for this, why should a person walk just in front of a garbage truck? Another point that needs to be ascertained is that the persons who were driving the vehicles have the skill to drive,” she said.

Hasina said educational institutions were closed for a long time due to coronavirus. “And all those have been reopened. So, get back to your institutions,” the Prime Minister asked the students.

She also mentioned that coronavirus is not over yet and the government is administering vaccines, and now the students are getting vaccines.

Women and Child Affairs Minister Fazilatun Nesa Indira, Joyeeta Foundation Managing Director and Bangladesh Shishu Academy chairperson Lucy Enam and Secretary to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Md Sayedul Islam also spoke at the programme.

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Two videos were screened at the programme on the mural of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bangladesh Shishu Academy and Joyeeta Foundation tower.

The Prime Minister described today’s children as the soldiers of future Bangladesh and called upon them to grow up as worthy citizens befitting with the modern world to advance the country further.

Hasina said she learned about Bangladesh by visiting its every corner by buses, trains, rickshaws, boats and even on foot for miles after miles walking through muds and soil.

While talking about the development of women, Hassan urged them to be self-dependent and acquire financial empowerment with their own initiatives and utilizing their capacities as no one will come forward to reward rights to the women folk.