Rickshaw pullers want battery-run rickshaws banned in 72 hrs

Pedal rickshaw pullers, who were demonstrating at Shahbagh intersection in the capital since Monday (August 26) morning demanding a ban on battery-run autorickshaws on main streets of Dhaka, have left the place giving an ultimatum of 72 hours.

They have given the authorities concerned a 72-hour ultimatum to ban the autorickshaws.

Around 10am, several hundred rickshaw pullers under the banner of Greater Dhaka City Corporation Rickshaw Owners Union, gathered at Shahbagh, blocking the road with their rickshaws to press home their seven-point demands, including to ban battery-run autorickshaws.

As the intersection was completely blocked, the vehicles movement on that road remained suspended. And the vehicles were seen going through alternative ways.

The agitating rickshaw pullers left Shahbagh after owners’ union General Secretary Md Momin Ali announced a 72-hour ultimatum before at 2:00pm.

Claiming that pedal rickshaw pullers could fetch adequate fares earlier as autorickshaws did not ply on the main roads in the capital, rickshaw puller Faruq said, “Now autorickshaws run everywhere, no one says anything. As a result, we do not get any rent. If the auto-rickshaws are barred from running on main roads as per previous rules, we will get adequate fare again.”

Md Rafiq Mia, a rickshaw puller from Jurain, said, “If you got to the autorickshaw garages, you will see how they charge batteries stealing electricity. Sometimes I see their autorickshaw overturned. People get on autorickshaw just to save time. If these are not stopped, it will not be possible to earn livelihood.”

At around 10am, Md Momin Ali read out the 7-point demand and informed that a memorandum has been submitted to the Chief Adviser to implement all these demands.