Following the decision to ban battery-powered autorickshaws in Gulshan in the capital, resentment has grown among the affected drivers.
Although they had been protesting peacefully in various areas for the past two days, tensions had flared in some places.
On Monday, the third day of the ban, there have been reports that autorickshaw drivers in Gulshan, Banani, and surrounding areas are reacting more strongly than before.
Upon investigation, it was found that the autorickshaw drivers attempted to disrupt movement by occupying various roads in Gulshan-Banani and nearby main roads.
In several places, verbal altercations and pushing incidents reportedly occurred between them and pedal autorickshaw drivers and bikers. Videos of some of these incidents have spread on social media.
There are allegations that in Banani's Road 21, two pedal autorickshaw drivers were even thrown beside the canal.
These incidents have caused agitation among local residents and businesspeople as well, who have expressed their own frustrations.
Locals in several areas of Gulshan and Banani have reported that on Monday morning, some agitated auto-autorickshaw drivers attacked pedal autorickshaw drivers wherever they saw them. When nearby bikers intervened, the auto-autorickshaw drivers turned on them as well.
The drivers claim that they should be allowed to operate in Gulshan-Banani just like in other areas of the capital. They want to be allowed to operate within a regulated system, so that their means of livelihood is not cut off.
It is worth mentioning that on Saturday, battery-powered autorickshaws were officially banned in Gulshan. Previously, only registered and specially colored pedal autorickshaws were allowed to operate in the area.
However, in recent months, battery-powered autorickshaws from outside had begun entering the area, reportedly increasing traffic congestion and disorder, according to local residents.
In this context, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Gulshan Society, and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) jointly decided to ban the movement of battery-powered autorickshaws.
