Super Hero Collection
A Super Hero…
Our Traffic Super Hero….. Pagla Ali
Saad Hammadi follows Pagla Ali, a legend of traffic control in Hatirpool and a self-proclaimed secret advisor to the caretaker government, and chronicles his obsession for controlling traffic on the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
He goes up to the traffic police on duty and tell him, `Have I kept you here just to see the chaos on the street or don’t you have some responsibility to clear them as well?`
`Ali, stop yelling people`, an elderly person in the area tells him while crossing the street. Some people are just amused by Ali`s moves and expression while managing the street or speaking to people.
In Dhaka there is one man outside the traffic police department who can move and stop the flow of vehicles in the vicinity of Hatirpool, Central Road and the GR Dutta stretch. Everyone in the area knows him by one name: Pagla Ali. The traffic police and sergeants in the area all know how useful this person can be during deadlock on the streets.
`Do you have a problem? Why do you hold your nose that is the wheel a step ahead of the other vehicles around you? Move back, he says to a rickshaw puller and yells at a private car, Driver, stop honking! You will not be able to go until I give you permission. `
That is how for the last 30 years, Pagla Ali has been ruling the traffic scenario of Hatirpool. He has grown up in the area, studied up to class five in Dhanmondi No 2 Free Primary School, worked there decades for people`s welfare and now at the age of 52, Ali has earned affection from a cross-section of people, from rickshaw-pullers to poor beggars, traffic police, fruit-sellers, hawkers, shopkeepers and all the residents of Hatirpool.
In 1966 at the age of 10, Ali with his parents and four other siblings first came to Dhaka in search of food. They were sheltered by businessman Abdus Sobhan who is no more but Ali says he turned around their fortunes. My mother worked as housemaid in Sobhan`s resident of Hatirpool and that is how Ali committed himself for the welfare of the area.
`Pagla was my classmate in primary school. He later became a driver of one of my cousins. He has lived in Central Road for a long number of years. Although he behaves crazy, he is a good man at heart and has an obsession to clear traffic jams on the street, says Mostain Billah, owner of taher Plaza market on Hatirpool.
During the transition from a primary school student to his identity as Pagla Ali, he was a rickshaw-puller for nine years before he became a private car driver in 1987. However, he would havd leisure hours he will be on the street to manage traffic.
In 1978 when vehicles in Hatirppor moved haphazardly and made chaotic traffic jams he says he knocked down two rickshaws traveling on thw wrong side of the road and put them in the middle to divide the flow of traffic. From that day onwards I was named Pagla Ali by the people. My original contribution to the street was when I laid down the foundation of islands in 1999 on the stretch between Central Road and Hatirpool.
He bought two tree trunks for TK.500 each, collected bricks and stones and eventually laid them on the street to form an island. They were later removed by the Government and a concrete island was constructed for the road.
`I often quarried with my father when he asked me to water those trunks he laid on the street.`, says Ibrahim Hossain, Ali`s 21 years-old son who works at an embroidery factory.` Pagla`s intentions are highly generous and commendable. His only objective on the street is that the roads must be clear of traffic jams, says traffic constable Rezaul Karim who has known Pagla for last two years. I have been controlling the traffic in the entire Dhaka City for the last 30 years, says Ali.` During my childhood, I was a tokai-a street urchin-in Hatirpool. When I asked money from people for pulling up rickshaws on the pool they said they did not have change. But I continued pulling up rickshaws and doing so earned me people’s blessing.` I do not work for any benefit of my won so that when I am old, people take care of me remembering my contribution.` he says. `My family life is 25 years but my “traffication” life is 30 years. I explained to my wife that my traffic duty is a priority over my family life.” Having worked for three decades unrewarded he says with confidence, the government is rehearsing before they honour me for my service. “Saddam led Iraq for 23 years, Nelson Mandela served jail for 27 years but I have served the street for 30 years.” Thirty years of voluntary service on the street without an acknowledgement from the government perhaps has made him somewhat disturbed. In the meanwhile, Ali has lost three sons shortly after their birth but Ali was strong enough to accept the fate. `There have been days, when my father has not returned home for three months and would control the traffic on the street after driving for his employer,` says Ibrahim.
`But with all his weird obsessions, he has pulled up his family of five members through thick and thin.` says Ali`s wife Shefali Begum. While Ali will not move out of Hatirpool, he has moved his family to a remote area in Abdullahpur to save some cost of living and at the same time pursue his daughter’s education at the higher secondary certificate at a nearby college.
With a monthly salary of TK.6000 now and perhaps much less earlier, Ali has been the sole breadwinner for his family. Even in crisis he made sure of his eldest son Ibrahim`s education. Ibrahim however eventually failed to continue his matriculation in order to take charge for his family and have his younger sister and brother educated. Holding his wife`s head, Ali lets tears fall from his eyes. ` My biggest achievement is that my wife has accepted mr the way I am. `
`By any means if the government acknowledgement his contribution that he passionately carries out, his selfless effort on the street would have been honored, ` says wife Shefali. `When the pedestrian bridge broke down at Science Laboratory I controlled the traffic from 2:00pm tp 8:00pm. This is my service. On August 21, 2004 I had 25 ambulances pass through the Hatirpool Street. Every time there is unrest at the Dhaka University, I stand guard on Hatirpool to clear traffic congestion. Has anyone honored this service? ` Ali asks disappointedly but says that he will still continue his work.
`When I clear the traffic jam for the millions of homebound people for iftaar during Ramadan, it benefits me through their prayers.
He converses quite seriously and yet makes statement that leaves the listener befuddled. `I have told Fakhruddin to ask Indian Prime Minister to provide Bangladesh with access to water in return of transit facility.` And though it sounds absurd he says with confidence that he is creator of the Anti-Corruption Commission. Truth Commission and that he is the Chief advisor’s secret advisor. `Though I did not have to go everywhere but I am the person who made the island allover the world.`
Two and half years later when Ansar Sipahi Kamal was once again posted to Paribagh intersection, Pagla Ali was the only man in common that he found since he was here last. `You will always find him with traffic police. The police sergeants like him for his voluntary service.` says Kamal. `He is a good man at heart. He has information that we would not have known about the area unless we knew him. ` He may sound crazy but his minute observations on national and international incidents are simply as incredible as his sincerity towards driving and traffic controlling. And while his original name is Imam Hossain and even this he says, `I have made this name up so that people do not realize that I am Pagla Ali. `
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About the Author
Redwan Farabee writes on various topics like Business, Politics, Society, Fashion & Food Entertainment. Currently Redwan is working for a well known top ranked Shipping Company as a Marketing Person. His Interest is casing almost every part in the news world.
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