I relate:

The city of Dhaka has apparently passed a new 'law' without letting any of its citizens know anything about it. The night of February 1st 2005 found me returning home with a female friend of mine at about 10 at night. We had gone to renew acquaintances with an old school teacher of ours whom we were meeting after a good three years.

We left our teacher's residence at about 9: 45 and I had my car and was on my way to drop my friend at her place in Gulshan Avenue. We took the Mohakhali Road leading to Gulshan 1, but surprisingly we were stopped at the checkpoint beside the lake, nearly opposite to the BRAC building. Thinking it was just a routine check-up we promptly stopped our vehicle.

The officer in charge came up and asked us some regulation questions, which we answered. He then asked me to step out of the vehicle and I complied with his request. It was at this time that I realised that this was not a routine check-up. The officer had some grand plan in store for us.

He informed me in a hurried voice that according to some particular 'law' I was not allowed to be in companionship of the other sex after a certain time at night. He also mentioned that he could take me to jail for being out at this time of night and that I could face a maximum penalty of a prison sentence. During this time he also kept reminiscing about how bad the situation of our country is at this time and how we should be doing our bit to improve it. Talk about irony.

During all this time the two other subordinates (who wore the uniform of the same kind of para-militia posted at the US Embassy check-posts) with him were querying my female friend to find out if our stories collaborated or not. She was forced to explain again and again the 'nature' of our 'relationship', and what we were doing out 'alone' (the car was chauffeur driven) so 'late'. When she explained she was a member of the press, they seemed a little less sure of themselves, and turned back to me, and the OC hastily changed his tone to a more paternal one, said he had our 'best interests' at heart, and that we should make him happy. The exchange of a Tk 50 note from my wallet to his showed us both exactly how we could oblige. We were sent off with a warning to 'behave'.

This incident sheds light on a number of matters, most important of which will be the fact that the police who are enlisted to 'protect' us do so in such 'innovative' manners. We, the citizens would be happy with a more orthodox manner or protection. What say you?

We talk so much about brain drain and the like. Which self respecting youngster would stay on in Bangladesh if he/she is subject to such treatment?