Sunday, 22 December, 2024
Drivers of battery-powered rickshaws staged protests across multiple locations in Dhaka on Thursday, blocking key roads in response to a High Court ruling banning the vehicles from operating within the Dhaka Metropolitan Area.
Protests were reported in Mohakhali, Mohammadpur, Agargoan, and Nakhalpara, with drivers halting traffic and causing significant congestion across the capital's major thoroughfares. The unrest began around 10 a.m. at the Mohakhali Rail Gate, where dozens of drivers gathered to block the road, disrupting traffic flow.
The protests have escalated throughout the day, further intensifying the city's already notorious traffic problems. Rickshaw drivers are voicing their opposition to the court's decision, arguing that it threatens their livelihood and the affordability of transport for many Dhaka residents.
“Rickshaw drivers have blocked the road and are protesting,” said Rasel Sarwar, chief of Banani Police Station. “Additional police personnel have been deployed at the scene.”
Mohammad Ruhul Kabir Khan, deputy commissioner of the Tejgaon Division of Police, said that reports of road blockades had come in from the Mohammadpur Three-Way intersection, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar’s Agargaon and Nakhalpara.
The drivers took to the streets around 10am and police are on the scene to control the situation, he said.
On Tuesday, the High Court ordered battery-run rickshaws to be banned from the Dhaka Metropolitan Area within three days.
The bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi made the decision based on a writ petition by the Pedal-run Rickshaw Association.
The home secretary, local government secretary, police chief, DMP commissioner, and the authorities of the two Dhaka city corporations were instructed to implement the decision.
The court also issued a rule asking why the authorities’ negligence in stopping the use of battery-run rickshaws should not be declared illegal.
“There are no licences for battery-run rickshaws, so they are completely illegal,” the court said.
On Wednesday, battery-run rickshaw drivers blocked the road in Dhaka’s Dayaganj intersection to protest the decision. The protests expanded to different parts of the capital on Thursday.
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Drivers of battery-powered rickshaws staged protests across multiple locations in Dhaka on Thursday, blocking key roads in response to a High Court ruling banning the vehicles from operating within the Dhaka Metropolitan Area.
Protests were reported in Mohakhali, Mohammadpur, Agargoan, and Nakhalpara, with drivers halting traffic and causing significant congestion across the capital's major thoroughfares. The unrest began around 10 a.m. at the Mohakhali Rail Gate, where dozens of drivers gathered to block the road, disrupting traffic flow.
The protests have escalated throughout the day, further intensifying the city's already notorious traffic problems. Rickshaw drivers are voicing their opposition to the court's decision, arguing that it threatens their livelihood and the affordability of transport for many Dhaka residents.
“Rickshaw drivers have blocked the road and are protesting,” said Rasel Sarwar, chief of Banani Police Station. “Additional police personnel have been deployed at the scene.”
Mohammad Ruhul Kabir Khan, deputy commissioner of the Tejgaon Division of Police, said that reports of road blockades had come in from the Mohammadpur Three-Way intersection, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar’s Agargaon and Nakhalpara.
The drivers took to the streets around 10am and police are on the scene to control the situation, he said.
On Tuesday, the High Court ordered battery-run rickshaws to be banned from the Dhaka Metropolitan Area within three days.
The bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi made the decision based on a writ petition by the Pedal-run Rickshaw Association.
The home secretary, local government secretary, police chief, DMP commissioner, and the authorities of the two Dhaka city corporations were instructed to implement the decision.
The court also issued a rule asking why the authorities’ negligence in stopping the use of battery-run rickshaws should not be declared illegal.
“There are no licences for battery-run rickshaws, so they are completely illegal,” the court said.
On Wednesday, battery-run rickshaw drivers blocked the road in Dhaka’s Dayaganj intersection to protest the decision. The protests expanded to different parts of the capital on Thursday.
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