Three-wheelers on highways: Lives lost amid ongoing chaos

Despite being banned, highly risky three-wheeled vehicles are now dominating almost all highways across the country. The situation has become so commonplace that it no longer appears to be a punishable offense. Due to public indifference, reckless driving, disregard for traffic laws, and police inaction, battery-run auto-rickshaws, three-wheelers, tomtoms, and auto-vans are freely plying the highways. This not only disrupts traffic flow but is also causing frequent fatal accidents.

On the morning of April 5, a Hanif Paribahan bus hit an auto-rickshaw at Torki Bandar in Gournadi upazila, Barishal, on the Dhaka-Barishal highway. The impact flung the auto-rickshaw off the road, killing passenger Moriom Begum (32) on the spot. Another passenger, Arif Hossain (27), died later that day while receiving treatment at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal.

A day earlier, on April 4, an SSC candidate named Sadia Yasmin Juthi died when a speeding bus hit a battery-run rickshaw while it was crossing the road at Bartakia Bypass in Chattogram. That same day, at noon, in Mirsarai municipal bypass, a passenger bus lost control while trying to avoid hitting a battery-run rickshaw and crashed into a tree, injuring 15 passengers. A few days prior, an auto-rickshaw driver named Jasim Uddin was killed in a road accident in the Mastannagar area of the same upazila.

On April 3, in Tekerhat, Madaripur, two auto-rickshaws collided head-on with a truck on the Barishal-Gopalganj regional highway. Two passengers, Subhra Sarkar (22) and Maloti Sarkar (15), lost their lives in the accident. Madaripur Traffic Inspector Mohammad Rizwan confirmed the incident to Views Bangladesh, adding that from January to March this year, 17 people were killed and 65 injured in accidents involving three-wheeled vehicles on various highways in the district.

Traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Barishal highway is also worsening due to the clustering of these vehicles along both sides of the road. Despite their best efforts, traffic police have been unable to restore order. When asked about alleged police inaction, Inspector Rizwan said, “That's not quite true. We are making all-out efforts to remove three-wheelers from highways. Our drives are ongoing. However, drivers often become aggressive when fined, and very few are willing to obey the law. Still, we're trying our best to clear highways of illegal vehicles.”

Meanwhile, in North Bengal, the newly constructed four-lane highways are also being overrun by CNG-run tempos and other three-wheelers. Unauthorized stands have popped up on connecting roads, and hundreds of vehicles are parked haphazardly. Highway police stations and camps are located in places like Hatikumrul in Sirajganj, Sherpur and Kundarhat in Bogura, and Phasitola in Gobindaganj. However, these have proven ineffective in stopping the operation of three-wheelers in the area. Locals claim that due to the highway police's inaction, accidents continue to occur on the newly expanded Dhaka-Rangpur highway.

On February 10, 2014, the human rights and environmental organization Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking a ban on three-wheelers on highways. Following a primary hearing, the High Court issued an interim ban and a rule on October 2, 2014, to stop the movement of such unregistered vehicles.

The final verdict came on January 25, 2017, when a High Court bench comprising Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice Kazi Ejarul Haque Akondo issued four directives. These included immediate and effective action to stop the movement of three-wheelers like Nasimon, Karimon, Bhotbhoti, and auto-rickshaws on highways across all districts. The directives were addressed to the DIG of Highway Police and the Superintendents of Police in each district, instructing them to enforce the order. The Home Secretary was also directed to issue a circular to the district commissioners to ensure enforcement. Additionally, the government was told to conduct drives to remove these vehicles and submit progress reports to the court every six months. Violators, including vehicle owners and drivers, would face strict legal action.

Following this, on August 1, 2016, the government officially banned all types of three-wheelers from operating on 22 highways. But this ban remains largely on paper, as highways continue to be overrun by such vehicles.

Superintendent of Police Mohammad Zakaria of the Highway Police Rangpur region told Views Bangladesh, “The Highway Police is actively working to remove all types of three-wheelers from highways. We are implementing the court’s directives.”

Dr. A.K.M. Akhtaruzzaman Basunia, SP of the Highway Police Gazipur region, said, “Battery-run auto-rickshaws and other banned three-wheelers are still running on highways. This is a national issue. While we are taking action, enforcement is being done gradually, taking all circumstances into consideration. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved soon — but it requires cooperation from all stakeholders.”

Senior Advocate Manzill Murshid, president of HRPB and the petitioner in the case, told Views Bangladesh, “Despite repeated High Court directives, enforcement remains largely ineffective. Media reports highlight this regularly. Traffic and highway police appear to be mostly inactive. They must play a more proactive role. The public also needs to be aware. Three-wheelers on highways are not just illegal — they are extremely dangerous. Most of the recent fatal highway accidents are linked to these vehicles.”