Cross sections of people are doubtful of the success of drive against tinted glasses or dark-coated stickers from vehicles.The members of law enforcing agencies launched the drive as per the directive of the Home Ministry for removal of tinted glasses from vehicles within May 10. The directive is however, not effective for the owners of vehicles with built-in dark glasses. As a result, the main objective of the drive to curb crimes, is likely to suffer, said some analysts. They, however, said that big crimes by big people don’t need tinted glass because the criminal groups are committing crimes like kidnapping and killing under the shelter of influential quarter of the society. Traffic sergeants began drive against vehicles with tinted glasses on Sunday by setting up several check posts at different strategic points in the city in compliance with the directives of the Home Ministry.”The drive will not serve the purpose adequately, as there are exceptions in the Home Ministry’s directive,” Major General (retd) Syed Mohammad Ibrahim, told The New Nation yesterday. Nobody should be allowed to use built-in dark glasses for the successful implementation of the order, he added.Hundreds of cars with dark glasses are now at the import satge and when those will enter the country, the very purpose of the drive is likely to be defeated, he said. Syed Mohammad Ibrahim, however, suggested extension of the time limit for removal of the black glasses from the vehicles for the success of the drive. Meanwhile, the traffic sergeants during their drive yesterday imposed a minimum fine of Tk 1,250 against each of the car owner with non-transparent glasses. The fine was imposed under Section 151 of Motor Vehicles Act.In some cases, necessary documents of the vehicles containing tinted glass were also seized. The owners have been asked to take back the documents on payment of fine and changing glasses, some car owners said.Many car owners however, expressed their resentment over the drive alleging that they were being unnecessarily harassed by the law enforcement agencies in the name of drive against vehicles with tinted glass. They also sought time extension for replacing their tinted glasses because of the sudden ban on use of non-transparent glasses. The Home Ministry has recently imposed a ban on use of unclear, black, coloured, and non-transparent glasses in all kinds of light vehicles including microbus, private car and pick-up van in the wake of increase incidents of abduction across the country. The kidnappers in most cases use vehicles with tinted glasses.
