The Facebook post met with a volley of criticsm. In the comments section under the video posted by the CEO, many criticised him for riding a motorcycle without a helmet. In addition, many netizens in Sylhet shared the video on Facebook, saying that under the country’s existing traffic laws, helmets are mandatory for both drivers and passengers. They argued that as a high-ranking government official, such behavior was inappropriate. They said it reflected not only irresponsibility but also disregard for the law.

When contacted today at 4:28 pm on Friday, Mohammad Rezai Rafin Sarkar told Prothom Alo, “I also posted a message along with the video. There I mentioned not wearing a helmet and said that I would wear one in the future. It was very early in the morning. The road was empty, and there were no vehicles. So I did not wear a helmet. That was not right. It will not happen again in the future.” He also said, “I usually ride motorcycles wearing a helmet. For the purpose of making the video, I rode without a helmet for less than one minute.”

Immediately after speaking with this reporter, Mohammad Rezai Rafin Sarkar deleted the video from Facebook.