Staff Reporter :
Just a day after clashes between aggrieved battery-run rickshaw pullers and law enforcers in the capital, the government has reversed its decision, allowing these banned vehicles to operate in Dhaka.
However, the ban on operating such vehicles will continue on 22 highways across the country.
Metropolitan police stated they would adhere to the government’s instructions but emphasized that battery-run rickshaws would remain out of the main thoroughfares of the capital. Police will await full instructions from the ministry on how these vehicles should operate on city streets.
Addressing an event in the capital on Monday, Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader announced that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has permitted the operation of these vehicles, considering the lives and livelihoods of the people.
“Considering the current global situation and the sufferings of the low-income group of people, Sheikh Hasina has taken this decision to allow the battery-run rickshaws in the capital,” he said.
“However, the ban on plying such vehicles on the 22 highways across the
country will remain in place,” he added. Earlier on Monday morning, a group of battery-run rickshaw pullers under the banner of Battery-Van and Easybike Resistance Council in front of Jatiya Press Club announced that they would go for countrywide protest programme if the decision to ban battery-run three-wheelers is not scrapped.
The Advisory Council of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) decided to ban battery-run rickshaws on Dhaka city roads at a meeting on 15 May.
Following such decision, the battery-run rickshaws were seized from different streets of the capital.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Sources said that they seized some 2,241 battery-run rickshaws, 239 battery-run auto-rickshaws and 113 easy-bikes.
The aggrieved rickshaw pullers said that such decision was a blow on their life and livelihoods. They have no other work to do rather than running rickshaws to run their families.
Protesting the government’s decision, hundreds of agitated rickshaw pullers took to the streets in different parts of the capital on Sunday and Monday.
Even they locked in clashes with the law enforces in Demra, Palassey, Rampura, Badda, Mirpur and Pallabi areas. Even a traffic police box was set on fire during the clashes in Kalshi area.
Their agitation led to vandalism on the vehicles and traffic movement was halted for a long time.
Following the clashes, four separate cases have been filed against protesting auto-rickshaw pullers in three police stations – including two in Pallabi, one in Kafrul, and one in Mirpur Model police station.
More than 1,500 auto-rickshaw pullers have been accused in these cases, and several arrests have been made, police sources said.
