Protests by battery-operated rickshaw drivers demanding the withdrawal of the High Court’s ban on such vehicles have continued for several days, causing severe traffic congestion and widespread public suffering in Dhaka.
Thousands of rickshaw drivers gathered near the Jatiya Press Club on Sunday morning to press their 11-point demands.
The blockade halted traffic on key roads, including the Paltan, Press Club and High Court areas, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded.
Rakibul Hasan, a passenger travelling on a Savar Paribahan bus, said his bus was stuck in a gridlock near Matsya Bhaban.
“When I realized the protest was blocking the road towards the Press Club, I had no choice but to walk to Gulistan,” he said.
Another passenger, Shafiqur Rahman, expressed frustration: “Blocking roads has become a norm. No one thinks about the common people. There are other ways to protest. This practice of disrupting roads must stop.”
Similar road blockades were reported in Mohammadpur and Jatrabari, where rickshaw drivers demanded the right to operate on main roads. The protests caused severe traffic jams in areas such as Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi, Mirpur, and Gabtoli.
Tejgaon Traffic Zone Assistant Commissioner of Police Snehashish Kumar Das said: “Protests have slowed down traffic in several areas, increasing pressure on the Moghbazar flyover. If a road is blocked in one part of Dhaka, it creates congestion in other areas. Traffic pressure is likely to worsen in the afternoon.”
