Amid protests from gas and petrol-powered three-wheeler drivers, especially those of CNG-run autorickshaws, over fines for overcharging, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has withdrawn its February 10 directive but clarified that penalties and regulations under the Road Transport Act, 2018 remain in effect.
In response to the protests, the BRTA withdrew its previous directive on Sunday morning.
However, rules, penalties, and fines will remain in place as before, said BRTA Director Shitangshu Shekhar Biswas.
Meanwhile, criticizing the decision, the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity called a press conference at 11am on Monday.
According to BRTA data, there are currently 20,894 registered autorickshaws in Dhaka.
Between 2015 and 2024, the highest number of autorickshaw registrations occurred in 2019, with 6,839 new registrations.
In 2018, 5,637 autorickshaws were registered.
In the morning, from 8am onwards, vehicular movement was halted at entry points and various locations in the capital, causing significant suffering to passengers.
Protesters blocked key areas such as the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway, Gulistan, National Press Club, Rampura, and Mirpur.
Due to these blockades, severe traffic congestion was reported at locations such as Rayerbagh, Shanir Akhra, Jatrabari, Hanif Flyover, Gulistan's Pocket Gate, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and Mirpur Road. Reports also indicated heavy traffic in Mirpur and Rampura.
The protesting drivers demanded an increase in meter-based fares and the abolition of fines for not using meters. They vowed to continue their protest until BRTA revoked its decision.
Later, amid the protests, the BRTA issued a notification, signed by Shitangshu Shekhar Biswas, withdrawing the previous directive.
The notification said: "The directive issued by the BRTA on February 10, 2025, regarding legal actions against overcharging passengers in gas/petrol-powered four-stroke three-wheeler autorickshaws, has been withdrawn through an order issued on February 16, 2025."
Despite the withdrawal of the notification, BRTA Director Shitangshu Shekhar Biswas clarified that "the rules, penalties, and fines remain unchanged."
He told Dhaka Tribune: "Our February 10 directive was issued only in response to complaints about overcharging. That directive has been revoked, but the penalties and fines under the Road Transport Act, 2018 and other regulations remain in place. We had issued the notification simply to remind people of the existing laws and policies."
Explaining the revocation, he added: "The decision was made mainly to prevent the chaos on Dhaka’s roads caused by the drivers' protests."
Statement from BJKS
Meanwhile, Mozammel Haque, general secretary of the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, told Dhaka Tribune: "Laws should not only exist on paper but must be enforced effectively. Unfortunately, we are not seeing that. A large syndicate of three-wheeler drivers is exploiting the situation and inciting protests."
He alleged that this syndicate has long been pushing to replace discontinued "Mishuk" autorickshaws and has repeatedly created unrest to demand 5,000 new permits in Dhaka and 4,000 in Chittagong.
Using this demand as a pretext, they have staged protests at BRTA headquarters, the Secretariat, and the National Press Club, he added.
Mozammel also claimed that under pressure from this syndicate, the BRTA recently reinstated an old directive imposing a fine of Tk50,000 on CNG autorickshaws refusing to operate on meters.
Once the law was enforced, certain owners’ associations and unions provoked drivers into a strike on Sunday, causing widespread disruption across the city.
"As a result, the BRTA has now surrendered to this syndicate, leaving passengers at the mercy of extortionist auto-rickshaw drivers."
Furthermore, he accused former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader and his family of facilitating large-scale corruption in the replacement of 26,996 CNG-run autorickshaws in Dhaka and Chittagong, embezzling approximatelyTk1,200 crore.
Due to this corruption, an autorickshaw that costs Tk3 lakh is now being sold for Tk30-35 lakh, he added.
"Since Quader’s family was directly involved, no one dared to speak out at the time. Even though the former minister has now gone into hiding, this corrupt syndicate remains active in the CNG autorickshaw sector."
He further alleged that senior BRTA officials involved in this corruption have remained in their positions for over a decade and have been inciting various movements to create instability.
They treat CNG autorickshaws as a "golden goose" and continue to manipulate the system, taking advantage of the government's weakness and lax law enforcement, he added.
On February 10, the BRTA issued a directive saying that if autorickshaw drivers charged more than the metered fare, they could face fines or imprisonment.
The directive referred to Section 35(3) of the 2018 Road Transport Act, which requires permit-holding autorickshaws to accept passengers for any destination and prohibits charging more than the metered fare.
Violations of this rule would result in penalties under Section 81 of the law, including a maximum fine of Tk50,000, six months' imprisonment, or both.
Additionally, the driver's licence would be subject to a one-point deduction.
