Commuters of Dhaka city on Thursday faced severe troublesomeness throughout the day as battery-powered rickshaw drivers staged a road and railway blockade in violation of a High Court directive.
The protest, which lasted six hours on the second day, was eventually called off, restoring traffic flow in major parts and other parts of the capital.
Since morning, the protesting driver blocked key roads including Mohammadpur, Agargaon, Gabtoli, Mirpur, and Demra, as well as railway tracks, to protest a High Court order directing the government to take steps to ban these vehicles from Dhaka streets.
Around 12pm, the protesters also blocked railway tracks at Mohakhali, halting rail connectivity between Dhaka and the rest of the country.
During the protest, a clash occurred between law enforcement agencies and the protesting drivers, resulting in the vandalism of law enforcement vehicles and nearby properties.
According to the eye witness and media reports, one of the many affected commuters was Idris Ali, who had traveled from Ghatarchar, Keraniganj, to Mohakhali’s Chest Disease Hospital with his ailing mother.
While returning back from hospital, Idris was trapped in the blockade. After managing to bypass one roadblock at Mohakhali, he was stopped again at Basila, where he had no choice but to carry his mother on his shoulders for a considerable distance to reach safety.
However, members of the Bangladesh Army dispersed battery-run rickshaw drivers who were protesting by blocking roads in various areas of the capital, including Mohakhali and Rampura.
Following their intervention, traffic movement resumed on both sides of the Rampura-Malibagh and Rampura-Badda roads in the afternoon.
In response to the situation, Banani police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Russel said: “The situation is under control. According to the information we have, there are no further blockade programs planned by the drivers.”
Addressing the issue, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Traffic-Mirpur Division Yasina Ferdous said: “The protesting battery-powered rickshaw drivers have been informed about the laws and regulations.”
“After August 5, when traffic enforcement became more lenient, these rickshaws suddenly reappeared on almost all roads of the capital. To maintain traffic discipline and implement the High Court's verdict, the drivers have been warned. If the law is violated, action will be taken accordingly, she added.
She further said that the protest not only caused public inconvenience but also highlighted defiance of the court’s order. Law enforcement agencies emphasized that strict measures would be taken to ensure compliance with the law.
The blockade affected areas such as Mohakhali, Agargaon, Mohammadpur, Basila, Mirpur, Pallabi, Kalyanpur, Technical, Gabtoli, and Demra, causing severe traffic congestion.
Many commuters were forced to walk long distances to reach their destinations.
The protest was organized in defiance of a High Court order issued on November 19 by the bench of Justice Fatema Nazib and Justice Mahmudur Razi, which mandated a complete ban on battery-powered rickshaws in Dhaka within three days.
The directive required implementation by the Home Secretary, Local Government Secretary, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner, and the authorities of Dhaka’s two city corporations.
According to the city corporation regulations, paddle-powered rickshaws can be licensed by city corporations, no provision exists for licensing battery-powered rickshaws.
Earlier attempts to secure licenses for these rickshaws through legal petitions in 2013 and 2014 were dismissed by the High Court.