Blockade forces EU ambassador Whiteley to leave car midway

Facing road blockades by students, the outgoing ambassador of the European Union to Bangladesh, Charles Whiteley, had to abandon his car on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway on Wednesday and find alternative ways to reach the parliament building for his scheduled farewell meeting with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.

Whiteley was stuck on the expressway as students protesting against the quota system in government jobs paralysed the city’s traffic, causing significant inconvenience to commuters.

He shared a video, taken by deputy head of the mission Dr. Bernd Spanier, depicting his journey—partly by walking and a CNG ride—to his destination.

“We abandoned the car on the expressway due to protests and made it to the call on Hon Speaker by CNG - a commemorative video made by Bernd, including a death-defying high-wire sequence,” Whiteley wrote, sharing the video from his Facebook account.

Whiteley is due to leave Dhaka, wrapping up his three-year tenure in Bangladesh.